Set in the historical scenery on the plateau of the vineyards of Saint-Emilion, this project concerns the rehabilitation of the Soutard Castle, the construction of which began in the early eighteenth century.
This property, in the spirit of the Bourdieu of Bordeaux, consists of vines, farm buildings, service quarters (old forge, backyard ...) and a luxurious house called «Château». Its roots lie in the “Ancien regime”, that of supreme elegance and eternal nectar. The house is surrounded by a protected park, classifi ed EBC (wooded area to be preserved).
In this fi rst stage, our mission concerns the castle and part of the service quarters. The western wing of the castle is open to the public; and will comply with safety and comfort standards which enables the creation of meeting rooms on the fi rst fl oor and a suite of reception rooms on the ground fl oor. The eastern wing is treated as a private home with guest rooms.
All eff orts are being made due to the expertise of the compagnon craftsmen:
- Stone masons bring back to life the Frontenac stone, the exterior joinery works regain their original writing: enriched by Saint-Just glass, the tiles remember the shimmer of old glassware which gives an authenticity to historic homes,
- Stone and recycled terracotta fl oors are laid out back to their original designs,
- The manufactured panels and the sophisticated doors in the living rooms recreate the original profi les and mouldings,
- Time has no take on ironwork: adaptation and restoration are invisible on the great staircase,
- The gypsum juggles through the cornices, rosettes and various ornaments.
This «visible reality» conceals a sophisticated exercise to meet the demanding logistics of our time, an essential tool for the modern wine-making activities and the enology development.
The project was completed with the construction of a wooden storage building treated along the same lines as the existing service quarters.
