Architect: Christian Portzamparc, Paris
Location: 33330 Saint-Emilion, France
Photos: Erick Saillet, F–Lyon
The
former wine cellar, which hails from the 19th century, currently serves
as a living space and guesthouse. Wine production has been transferred
to the new building and its 700 m² of usable space.
Model of historic and new building, rendering: Christian Portzamparc
The
dynamically undulating building, whose curves are meant to recall the
shape of a wine glass, looks like a white sail that has draped itself
over the vineyards. While the structure appears to take flight from the
longitudinal view, seen from the front it seems to meld with the
ground.
No line here is superfluous: everything contributes to perfecting the
winemaking process, and it shows: the geometry of the curved surfaces
and their muted white molded concrete, the unique atmosphere that
derives from the natural light descending earthwards inside the vat
house, between the contours of the great concrete vats.
Along
with the formal concept, the building has a functional one as well: the
separate processing of the harvest according to vineyard. Every one of
the 52 fermentation tanks is dedicated to one particular vignoble. The
capacity depends on the size of each parcel of land.
Technology is treated as a necessity, not as an object of ostentation.
There are 52 concerte vats with 9 different sizes corresponding to 47
plots. The walls of the barrel cellar use moucharaby to facilitate
natural ventilation. The lighting is sober because it does not seek a
decorative role. 
Between the inside and outside, the winery is a place of transmutation
and human interaction with nature. This is where exceptional wine is
made among extremely demanding instruments with exacting skills to
match.
The
overall floor plan follows a strict symmetry. Like a pearl necklace,
the individual functions are linked in a chain: the foyer leads through
the hall with the fermentation tanks to the area devoted to technical
processing, an atrium and finally to the workshop room.
Ground floor plan
The
ground floor is without supports; six vertical concrete slabs run
through the entire length of the building to hold up the roof. The main
materials are exposed concrete and oak, a nod to wine casks and the
concrete tanks used by Cheval Blanc.
Structure
A winery shaped like a belvedere projecting out from the château.
Project data
Client: Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Emilion
Team: Etienne Pierres, Olivier Chadebost,
Daniel Romeo
Structural engineering: Scyna4
Landscape architecture: Agence Méristème
Usable space: 700 m²
Costs: Euro 12 million
Team: Etienne Pierres, Olivier Chadebost,
Daniel Romeo
Structural engineering: Scyna4
Landscape architecture: Agence Méristème
Usable space: 700 m²
Costs: Euro 12 million
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