Universal Wine Museum

On the edge of the hills, the project site is spread out between low-density, rural-type fabrics. It enjoys privileged access and a position in the window on the surrounding axes. The International Wine Village fits subtly into this vast landscape, between wine-growing plain and green hills. The project is carried out according to the idea of a stone village leaning against the vines. It is a place that intelligently combines traditional references, both Chinese and French, with the comfort of modernity.

Like the Medieval city of Saint-Emilion in France, classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the International Wine Village is made up of a succession of volumes, boxes, intertwined with each other. Each volume offers a unique shape and a constantly renewed opening game, to better differentiate itself. Each symbolizes an individuality, a personality, a knowledge. Their interweaving creates a harmonious ensemble, a community based on shared values. This interwoven urban ensemble of “houses” allows surprising perspectives to be released in the interstices, multiplying different points of view.

If the interweaving of volumes seems, at first glance, random, it is in fact skilfully orchestrated to respond to an ambitious and complex program, combining exhibition rooms, stores, immersive rooms, an amphitheater, a tasting space, restaurants, a French café, administrative offices, a wine school and VIP lounges.

The idea of a journey, of connection, of continuous discovery and experience is the driving force behind the project. In the center, the “castle” is a courtyard surrounded by a gallery and contemporary arcades, reminiscent of the emblematic squares in the villages in Southwestern France; it represents the centrality, the place of life, encounters, exchanges and meetings of an entire city, and is an ideal place to host one-off events or temporary installations.