A seven-generation family metalworking business from Alsace, France, has left its mark on Disney Adventure World, the newly rebranded theme park at Disneyland Paris, by designing and fabricating the elaborate entrance marquise for The Regal View Restaurant & Lounge.
Schaffner, founded in the early 19th century, was among nearly 400 suppliers that contributed to the construction of the park, bringing traditional fire-and-forge craftsmanship to a project that demanded both artistic precision and significant engineering complexity.
The ornate canopy structure crowning the restaurant’s entrance was produced in the firm’s Alsatian workshops, combining classical ironwork methods with modern techniques including laser welding. According to company director Vincent Schaffner, the absence of comparable precedents made the project a considerable design challenge from the outset.
“With no directly comparable references, our teams carried out an in-depth technical study,” he said. “The 3D modelling of such a complex geometric design was a real design challenge — especially given that the precision expected for a structure of this scale remains within millimeters.”
The finished piece required several hundred hours of labor from highly skilled craftspeople, including at least one recipient of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France — France’s most prestigious award for artisanal excellence. The decision to work in stainless steel, an unconventional material for decorative ironwork, added further demands on the team’s technical rigor throughout both manufacturing and on-site installation.
The project was developed in close collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, whose teams worked alongside Schaffner through to the final stages of installation. Mathieu Roze, a project manager at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, said the completed structure reflected the depth of that partnership.
“Seeing the marquise installed at the entrance of The Regal View Restaurant & Lounge brought its craftsmanship and attention to detail to life,” Roze said. “It reflects a strong collaboration and enduring savoir-faire.”
For Schaffner, the commission carried significance beyond its technical demands. Vincent Schaffner described the experience as a meaningful contribution to a project with broader human resonance. “Being able to contribute, in our own way, to a human adventure as strong as the one carried by Disney Adventure World was greatly appreciated,” he said.
Cover image courtesy of Disneyland Paris.
