CARMEN MAURICE, VIGNOBLE DU RHUYS, FRANCE
Carmen Maurice, head of the CMA firm she founded in Vannes in 2020, designed the new winery for Rhuys vineyard in the municipality of Sarzeau (Morbihan), converting an old mill into a contemporary building that is rooted in its natural setting, welcoming and professional.
The
project is part of a program undertaken by Sarzeau and the Regional Natural
Park of the Gulf of Morbihan to revive wine production after a 70-year hiatus,
an activity that had been carried out for centuries until the 1950s. Guillaume
Hagnier and Marie Devigne, who were selected following a competition organised
by winemakers, came to the Poulhors mill area(chosen by the municipal
council)in 2020 and planted 25,000 vines including Chardonnay, Chenin
Blanc, and Cabernet Franc.
Inspired
by a centuries-old winemaking tradition, Carmen Maurice’s architectural design really
brings out the spirit of the place. The building, which wraps around the
renovated mill, is extremely compact. Its fluid layout optimises the winemaking
process, from harvesting operations to the north to the delivery procedures to
the south.
The lime plaster gives the building a mystical sense of immanence, revealing itself to visitors as they enter the main entrance to the south or coming down from the paths to the northwest. This material, with its unexpected plasticity and sculptural properties, facilitated the creation of living walls that embody the wines’ terroir as they change appearance in accordance with the weather and light, just like the wine itself.
The wine cellar, an oasis of silence and ageing, is also a place for sharing and tasting. The project’s private and public spaces combine to express both these aspects. To the east, a small building blends discreetly into the landscape, protecting the work of the winemakers. To the west, the cellar walls open generously onto the surrounding countryside, projecting towards two nearby windmills.
The shared spaces for wine tasting and display purposes illustrate the evolution of winemaking operations and invite visitors to discover the history of the vineyards of Sarzeau. The first harvest took place in 2022, producing almost 6,500 bottles with the label "dantelezh," which in Breton means "lace" and also "delicacy" when referring to architecture.
Client: Commune de Sarzeau; Project: Carmen Maurice Architecture; Economist, SPC: Armor Economie; Fluids, thermal engineering, electrical plan: Become56; Winemaking process: Alienor Ingénierie; Structure: Bretagne Ingénierie ; RVN: Nicolas Associés; Air quality: Laboratoire Vectoeur; Photo: Guillaume Amat
