vincent coste combines the worlds of cheese and wine in france
rench architecture firm, vincent coste architecte locates ‘la fromagerie du passage’ at the center of an ancient benedictine cloister in the historic french city of aix-en-provence. the concept store marries the world of wine and cheese through carefully initiated design characteristics. three levels vertically displace the programs of the design brief in a local and contemporary fashion. the ground floor retail space includes an aromatic cheese tasting display that faces the wooden beech plank exhibition and sales desk, which are intended to appear as a bookshelf of bottles. two of the meilleurs ouvriers de france (best workers in france) attend the station, where they are in charge of refining and selecting the wine to develop a sustainable and informed consumption of the two products. the prestigious title refers to a competition held every four years to determine the best craftsmen of the country. decorating the surfaces are simple geometric concrete tiles that unite the space and give it a strong identity amongst other storefronts along the street.
the first floor mezzanine offers two dining options: a long counter directly above the double height ceiling, and a long table d’hôte, which is divided according to the circulation requirements of the employees and customers. the counter, a wide wooden balcony that lines the extents of one edge, generates the composition of the façade and reinforces the perception of the interior from the street.
the top level has allowed the establishment of a terrace within the context of the city’s rooftops. each component of furniture (shelves sale, tables, maturing cellar, and showcases sale) have been specifically created to optimize their use and respond to the technical demands of cheesemakers and winemakers.
photo © florent joliot
all images courtesy of vincent coste architecte
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