New Age d'Or

Ascendant French design star Hugo Toro's youthful exuberance adds high drama to a Paris pied-à-terre.

- IAN PHILLIPS

Hugo Toro draws obsessively. Sometimes on notepads, otherwise on his tablet. "If I'm not drawing, something is wrong," says the Parisian architect and interior designer. He claims it even helps him concentrate in meetings. "Often, people think I've switched off, but it actually allows me to stay connected with them," he says.

In recent times, Toro has been sketching at a particularly furious pace. Since setting up his solo practice in 2020, he has created a corner for Orient Express to sell travel objects in Paris's iconic department store La Samaritaine. He is also responsible for designing a trio of fashionable restaurants in France, all called Gigi, as well as Booking Office 1869, a flamboyant eatery at St. Pancras station in London. “I think my style is well suited to restaurants, where the goal is often to create a strong atmosphere," he says.