En, Japanese-Style Wellbeing in the Heart of Paris

Hidden behind an emerald green shop front at 7 Rue de Condé in Paris’ 6th arrondissement lies En, a spa-boutique opened by Japanese brand Lenor Japan in late May 2019.

With its impressive arches and multiple flashes of gold, En is reminiscent in appearance of Silencio, the Parisian club launched by filmmaker David Lynch in 2011. However, the similarities end there. Whilst Silencio favours dark colours and heavy velvet curtains, En prioritises light, white surfaces and natural materials like wood and brick. While the club on the Rue Montmartre encourages its clientele to loosen up over a cocktail or two, En advocates the principle of detox.

Skincare products made in Japan using natural extracts

The establishment offers a blend of Japanese expertise and French-style beauty. En does not simply administer spa treatments: the staff investigate clients’ habits, posture and diet to establish the root of a skin problem. They also place great importance on the composition of their skincare, created especially from non-diluted, organic extracts. This range of cosmetic ingredients is formulated and bottled in Japan and made from natural products, from the country or elsewhere, such as matcha powder, hinoki (Japanese cypress) and konjac, well-known in Japanese tradition for its therapeutic virtues. Getting straight to the point without resorting to using additives, the products (with packaging designed by Yuji Tokuda) achieve better absorption of their active agents into the skin… and therefore a better result.

To express the brand’s philosophy through the architecture of the spa, Lenor Japan turned to Archiee, a French firm created by Tokyoite Yusuke Kinoshita and his associate Daisuke Sekine, who hails from Kanagawa. This is not the first time that the studio has looked to Japan for inspiration: Archiee was also responsible for the interior design of the Japanese boutique Bukiya (Rue Sainte-Anne) that sells objects imported from Japan, and the concept store Wa, a shop and an exhibition space dedicated to Japanese culture located in Paris’ 1st arrondissement.

En, situated halfway between Odeon and the Jardin du Luxembourg on the road leading towards the Senate, conforms to the neighbourhood’s standards in its interior design with its various golden elements. Above all, however, it refers back to its Japanese heritage: in its language of origin, en means ‘beauty’, ‘connection’ and ‘circle’, hence the many brass rings hung from the walls that add a personal touch to the establishment’s refined character.

More information about En can be found on the establishment’s website.