Château La Coste inaugurates a pavilion designed by Oscar Niemeyer, representing the last project drawn by the renowned architect before he passed away in 2012. Set amongst a vineyard, the curved structure features a glazed gallery space, accompanied by an 80-seat auditorium placed within a cylindrical volume. Emphasizing the pavilion's connection with the surrounding landscape is a shallow pool that brings a new dimension to the project through the interplay of light and reflections.
Château La Coste is a vineyard in France home to over 40 works of art and architecture scattered across the 500-acre site. Each year since its opening in 2011, architects and artists are invited to visit the domain and create a site=--specific work in a place that inspires them. Architects who have created permanent works for Château La Coste include Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Tadao Ando or Richard Rogers. Niemeyer was first invited to consider a design for Château La Coste in 2010, but the project's construction was only recently completed.
It was an absolute pleasure to work on this project. The location is very beautiful and a pleasant, peaceful environment. The pavilion had to be a light construction adapted to the landscape as well as the vegetation. The structure is at home in this setting and will be a joy to walk around.- Oscar Niemeyer
The latest addition to Château La Coste's increasing collection of architecture works is an illustration of Niemeyer's well-known design motifs, such as the juxtaposition of solids and transparent volumes or the use of water. Placed within the vineyard rows, the pavilion is reached through an undulating path through the vines and accessed across the shallow reflecting pool. Inside, a red ceramic mural based on a drawing by Niemeyer adorns the gallery's only opaque wall.
