Located on the Place du Capitole, this hotel, which is emblematic of the history of aviation, had been completely abandoned for decades; only the memory of room 9, where Saint-Exupéry stayed, remained. The hotel was rebuilt around this strong symbol: with the support of collective memory and testimonies, this place was able to regain a unity and harmony between its history and its location. Every element designed refers to the sky, from the reception posts lifted from the ground by a beam of light, to the ceilings and walls of certain rooms.
The old hotel was particularly dilapidated; some parts of the roof structure had been damaged by a fire. First of all, the interior had to be cleaned out in order to restructure the whole, while keeping the emblematic parts: floors, staircases, Saint Exupéry's room n°9. Because of its limited floor space and its location in the historic centre, the work had to be organised with due consideration for the commercial activities in the street and with the greatest respect for the preservation of this historic monument.
