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Dedicated to modernity, simplicity and elegance
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WHO is he?
Didier Lefort is the owner and founder of award-winning architecture and interior design agency, DL2A. Lefort, along with visionary Australian architect Kerry Hill, was responsible for The Datai Langkawi resort’s original designs, which won the Aga Khan Award For Architecture in 2001. Currently involved in turnkey design projects for both architecture and interior design, including The Datai’s first major restoration since its inception, his creativity into design, furniture and lighting is what makes him the much sought-after architect and interior designer that he is today.
What is the project you are most proud of?
Each project has its own interesting character, success and frustrations. With the myriad of projects we have been involved in, it is difficult to pick a favorite. But, in the field of hospitality, The Datai is top of the list and I am so glad to be invited back to provide for its milestone renovation.
What are you working on now?
We just helped open the five-star Sundy Praia tented resort in Principe Island on an African island, involving the training and participation of the local community. We are also involved in the M Avenue project in the center of Marrakech, with a 500-meter-long avenue that includes a cultural center, offices, apartments, a shopping arcade and a hotel. I am also busy designing an office tower in Casablanca, as well as a 5 Trident Club Med in Santo Domingo.
What’s your design style?
Our style is not about style but principle. Working in so many different countries and cultures, we prioritize each area’s individual need, their culture, climate and environment. Our expertise is to convert these elements in a modern and durable way. Having a definite style could easily become out of fashion in a short time, thus our approach ensures durability. Our principle is to take the essential parts of local parameters and orient that towards modernity, simplicity and elegance.
Where are you most creative?
Creativity should be everywhere and globally coherent. As architects and interior designers, my DL2A studio is always mindful of the interactive creativity between the two fields. We never duplicate concepts and we love to create from the broader master plans and shapes, right down to the project’s smallest details. Hospitality is a fantastic playground for that and we are currently directly involved in most of the disciplines around architecture and design, in structure, lighting, artwork, landscaping...
What does your home mean to you?
I have one home with my family in Paris, where I always return to in between trips. But I have to admit there are also places where I feel comfortable enough to call “home,” where I have friends and local partners, with whom I share my passion and work, exchanges and friendships. The world is so rich and complex that it is very nice to learn and understand what it’s made up of, that we are all humans and the earth is really a big home for us all.
What do you collect?
I am not someone who collects specific items but things that evoke an emotion in me, which could be creative and clever, or simply of pure beauty, which gives me happiness. I also admire Japanese culture for its minimalist approach of acquiring few things.
What will be the next big design trend?
Sustainability, truth, durability, respect of natural resources and materials. We have to be clever with design to fulfill these goals, to be creative with the use of new and traditional materials and to create a durable elegance. More and more, there is a need to have a true experience, to be astonished, to learn and to understand things better. People are more sensitive to the protection of culture and environment, and this trend is also toward their dressing, holidays ...
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