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Ruinart reveals renovated Reims home
After three years of work, the refurbishment of Champagne producer Ruinart’s visitor centre at 4 Rue des Crayères is complete.
The new design was the work of Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, interior designer Gwenaël Nicolas and landscape artist Christophe Gautrand.
“4 Rue des Crayères, the quintessence of the Ruinart spirit, has been metamorphosed to embody the Maison’s vision. Tradition
and modernity coexist harmoniously in this historic setting where nature, culture, heritage and savoir-faire weave together,” commented Maison Ruinart president Frédéric Dufour.
The site is accessible via a hidden path, made to look like it has been carved out of limestone. The new Nicolas Ruinart pavillion, named after the man who founded the house back in 1729, was designed be Fujimoto to evoke a Champagne bubble, with a (UV blocking) glass wall and asymmetrical roof, standing opposite the historic Ruinart building.
“Through the pavilion’s bay window, facing the main courtyard, you see Maison Ruinart as if in a dream,” said Fujimoto.
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Inside the bubbles theme is continued, with glass bubbles by Atelier Barrois over the stone bar.
“I wanted to strike the right balance between the history of an age-old Maison and a more contemporary perspective,” commented Nicolas. “Visitors are invited to plunge into the world of Ruinart, feeling both guided and free to explore as they please.”
The building was made with local Soiissons stone and the roof from wood, and, also thanks to the use of bio-sourced materials, it meets for the criteria for the French High Quality Environmental standard in architecture. 80% of its energy consumption comes from either geothermal energy or on-site solar panels.
In the garden, joining the old beech trees, are new plantings of maple and pine, and, in what is believed to be a first for the Champagne region, cork oaks.
“It is a garden to explore and experience that reveals the spirit of Ruinart. The exterior spaces form a scenographic path that awakens the senses and generates emotion,” said Gautrand.
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