Parisian club reopens after four year closure
The Ken Club, a Parisian institution, has reopened its doors after a four-year closure. Founded by Mireille and Pierre Benzaquen in 1985, the club was known for its unique blend of American spirit and French charm, attracting a diverse clientele, including CAC 40 executives, actors, and neighbors.
Arthur Benzaquen, the founders’ son and head of the Masada Group, oversaw the club’s renovation, aiming to preserve its original character while incorporating modern materials and precision. The result is an “architectural remix,” as the club calls it.
The Design Team
To achieve this vision, Benzaquen brought in interior architects Rodolphe Parente and Marion Mailaender, who had never worked together before. Both have served as president of Villa Noailles and are known for their humorous approach to design. Benzaquen stated that to reinvent the Ken Club, they needed creators who truly understood the 80s.
Parente and Mailaender envisioned the club as an ocean liner, incorporating nautical cues throughout the design. The nearly 20-metre pool features porthole windows, while round skylights sit in the ceiling above. The changing rooms also boast a unique touch, with blue designated for women and pink for men.
The Renovated Space
The training floor showcases a bold Malabar pink, paired with textured plaster and lino, materials once associated with cheap 80s fit-outs. Millimetre-precise joinery builds walls of mirror and stainless steel, alternately perforated, corrugated, and brushed. The 300-square-metre space is anchored by black equipment, creating a striking contrast between budget finishes and high craft.
A grand concrete staircase curves up beside a reception desk clad in bubble gum pink, while the cycling studio features a dark, immersive environment with around 20 bikes. A glazed patio under a steel-framed roof holds a pale green serpentine bench, and beyond it sits more than 1,000 square metres of garden-solarium.
Parente and Mailaender’s collaboration has resulted in a space that balances 80s references with calm, generous shapes. The timetable even plays along, with step and aerobics classes back on the schedule. The Ken Club‘s renovation has successfully captured the essence of the original, creating a space where people can spend the whole day, not just sweat.
