Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto has added a visitors centre to champagne house Maison Ruinart's historic site in Reims, France.
Completed as part of a three-year renovation of the site, the Nicolas Ruinart Pavilion by Fujimoto serves as a cultural space for visitors and sits in direct contrast to the site's existing 19th-century buildings.
Sou Fujimoto has added a visitors centre to a historic site in Reims
Fronted by a centralised courtyard, the centre is built from local soissons stone and topped with an asymmetrical, wooden roof, which is defined by a sweeping curve designed to reference "the roundness of a champagne bubble".
A glass facade that shifts from translucent at its base to opaque at its top fronts the centre and is intended to create an impression of "the bubbling of champagne". The pavilion sits in direct contrast to the existing 19th-century buildings. Photo by Mathieu Bonnevie
"The curves of this new construction contrast with the straight lines of the historic buildings," Ruinart said.
"The Nicolas Ruinart Pavilion blends harmoniously with the centuries-old buildings, creating a vibrant dialogue that highlights the modernity of its asymmetric design."
The structure is made from glass and local stone. Photo by Mathieu Bonnevie
Complementing Fujimoto's use of natural, local materials is the integration of a green roof and rainwater harvesting system into the structure.
As well as this, the use of geothermal energy and ...