Project design 1967 (≈ 1967)
Pascal Haüsermann and Claude Costy imagine the motel.
1967–1969
Construction of pavilions
Construction of pavilions 1967–1969 (≈ 1968)
Realization of the eleven bubbles on the river island.
2007
Renamed Museumotel l'Utopie
Renamed Museumotel l'Utopie 2007 (≈ 2007)
Change of name until 2015.
9 juillet 2014
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 9 juillet 2014 (≈ 2014)
Total protection of the site and buildings.
2019
Purchase and catering
Purchase and catering 2019 (≈ 2019)
New owner launches the works.
juillet 2024
Reopening to the public
Reopening to the public juillet 2024 (≈ 2024)
Return to Motel l'Eau Vive name.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
"In total, all the so-called "shells" that form the Museumotel, as well as the ground of the plot on which they are located, as shown on the plan annexed to the Order, in red for the buildings and in hashish for the plot (see Box. A 1261): classification by order of 9 July 2014"
Key figures
Pascal Haüsermann - Architect
Designer of bubble pavilions and project.
Claude Costy - Architect and companion of Haüsermann
Co-creator of the motel and interiors.
Maurice Thiery - Sponsor and hotelier
Initial owner who placed the order.
Origin and history
The Museumotel l'Utopie, originally named Motel l'Eau Vive, is an avant-garde architectural project designed in 1967 by Pascal Haüsermann and Claude Costy at Raon-l'Étape, in the Vosges. The idea arose when Maurice Thiery, a local hotelier, discovered their bubble houses in Elle magazine and ordered them a motel on a river island. The ensemble, built between 1967 and 1969, comprises eleven pavilions (including nine bedrooms) and a central bubble dedicated to reception, all inspired by an organic and futuristic aesthetic.
The rooms, organized in circles, were thematized (Pop Art, Zen, Love Bubble) and decorated with design objects from the 1950s–70s. The site, renamed Museumotel l'Utopie in 2007, closed in 2015 before being bought and restored. Ranked a historic monument in 2014, it reopened in 2024 under its original name, Motel l'Eau Vive, after work preserving its utopian spirit. The garden has been renovated by a landscaper, and the site is now completely pedestrian.
Pascal Haüsermann, an architect specializing in bubble houses, applies innovative techniques such as the projected concrete veil. The project reflects a humanistic vision, where the round shape of shells is inspired by nature. After years of abandonment, a team of enthusiasts revives this iconic place, combining accommodation, art and architectural heritage.
The whole complex has been fully protected since 2014, including the buildings and their plot. His history illustrates the challenges of preserving an experimental architecture, between abandonment and rebirth, while celebrating the creative audacity of the 1960s.
