Architect Andre Fu and his design studio AFSO is working on a number of high profile projects due to unveil this year. Amongst the list of key commissions is the most highly anticipated Villa La Coste, nestled within the poetic Chateau La Coste in Aix en Provence, France.
Set against the Luberon mountains, Château La Coste is an organic winery where visitors can also explore an exceptional art and architecture trail with works by such renowned artists and architects as Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, Richard Serra, Frank Gehry, Louise Bourgeois and Tadao Ando.
Villa La Coste is a brand new purpose-built luxury hotel inside the vineyard that comprises 28 villas and public spaces. Inspired by the true artisanal spirit of the vineyard as well as the breathtaking artistic vision of the chateau, Fu was commissioned to create key destinations within the Hotel, including the Salon, the Bar, the Library and the destination Pavilion Louise Restaurant opening this spring. Fu seeks to instill a ‘contemporary Provençal’ design experience into the project, whilst overlaying his own signature language of ‘relaxed luxury’.
The Library, Salon, Cave Cellar and Bar
Located at the garden level of Villa La Coste, Fu’s vision was to craft a sequence of discreetly elegant spaces that would allow guests to lounge and discover. Beginning in the Library with its adjoining Cellar, Salon and Bar, the experience is designed to mirror the sense of being in a private collector’s maison.
Fu has used beautiful solid aged timber wood and brushed Botticino Crema marble to create the sense that while the spaces are contemporary, they are also timeless, a defining feature of so much of Fu’s work. Lighting is soft and subtle, with guests immersed in a candlelight environment in the evening to convey a sensuous sensibility.
The Pavilion Restaurant
February 2017 sees the opening of the Pavilion Louise Restaurant by renowned chef Gerald Passedet. Passedet’s restaurant in Marseille, Le Petit Nice has three Michelin stars.
Pavilion Louise, located in a modernist free-standing glass pavilion which appears to float above an extensive water pond, is designed by Fu to celebrate the union of architecture and gastronomy. The centerpiece of the dining room is a prominent sculpture, The Couple, by Louise Bourgeois, is suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the room.
“Chateau La Coste has a very special atmosphere and this has been a remarkable project for me, to work so closely with its owner Paddy McKillen. I saw my role as creating a sense of intimacy, of relaxed luxury, designing these spaces for people rather than as spectacles in themselves.” says Fu of his involvement in the vision for Villa La Coste.
