Wine Cellar Château Faugères

Situated atop the undulating hills near Saint Emilion, swathes of vineyards open out to the visitor in neat rows of vines rooted in the furrowed surfaces of the earth. In this landscape, the changes wrought by man are in perfect harmony with the metamorphoses of nature. With the passing of the seasons, the verdant hues give way to the yellow-grey of autumn. It is in this area of poignant beauty, redolent of history and memories, that Silvio Denz asked me to design a new wine cellar. My plans were for a partly underground stone base, with areas for production and the storage of barriques (wooden barrels) with maturing wines. It would have a single architectural structure rising up in the centre – a tower for activities involving the public and wine-tasting – and at the top, an extensive covered terrace overlooking the countryside. The external facade in gently textured natural yellow stone accentuates the geometric outline of the composition. The project sets “rational” architecture created by man against the “organic” transformation of the landscape, in order to enhance the beauty of both.