The restaurant Le Quatre is located in the heart of downtown Aix en Provence and was created by two couples of friends. It is a place for sharing with a generous space where you can find a refined cuisine full of flavours.

Having entrusted their project to the talented architectural firm RED BANANA, we were able to work on the lighting in partnership with them. The client gave us carte blanche for this project. They wanted to create an upscale and festive place, but different from the usual Aix-en-Provence offer.

The restaurant has different materials and a particular configuration with high ceilings, stone walls behind the cladding, and a beautiful vaulted cellar in the basement.

All this led the project manager to create a rather raw, unusual and slightly disturbing universe. The theme of the monster fair was therefore imposed on them. The project management team was totally in tune with this new world of Aix.

For the lighting of this place, we wanted to work with finesse on these different materials to create a play of light and an offbeat atmosphere.

Four-branched candlesticks, three of which are illuminated, from the Moooi brand were placed above the tables on the side of the glass roof overlooking the street. These chandeliers are reminiscent of the tentacles of the sumptuous octopus surfing on the old stones. The octopus, which is the symbol of the four, was painted by the professional graffiti collective Yaka & Skeum, who captured the essence of the project perfectly.

Moooi ceramic wall lamps in the shape of a white mask were also installed. They made sense in this scenography with the random concrete floor covering the cement tiles, the cracked walls, the exposed stone, the raw metal frames and the exposed networks. The aim was to make the place look like an old sanatorium or asylum.
The door to the toilets, for example, has a sort of pass-through like a prison door.

This somewhat heavy atmosphere was softened by the project team by adding shine and refinement with brass table edges, gold paint in the cracks of the walls, copper suspensions, greenery and colour in the furniture.

Finally, at the back of the bar, Sfel light tubes have been installed in staggered rows to keep with the offbeat theme and give an anarchic feel.

Lighting designer : LM5P – Le Mouton à 5 Pattes

Photo credit: Christophe Pozzo di Borgo

Brand used: Sfel, Moooi Nobile

Architect : RedBanana