
Having just returned from France, I thought it would be appropriate to share something from our recent travels for World Tourism Day. One of the locations we visited was La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. I was struck by the design of the building, with it’s flowing curves and ribs. Evocative of knotted vines, wine barrels, wine turning in the glass, and the swirls and eddies of the the adjacent Garonne River. The website says “Each and every architectural detail evokes liquid elements and the very soul of wine.” Beyond the design, the museum houses exhibits about wine, covering every aspect of wine that you might imagine.
Looks amazing! It is reminiscent of some of the Frank Geary-designed Guggenheim museum in Bilbao (and the Marques de Riscal Hotel building in El Ciego, Rioja). Look them up and see if you see the comparison. PS – check out our wine country blog and follow us if you like what you see: http://www.topochinesvino.com.
Thanks for your comment. Yes, my first thought when I was the Cité du Vin was Frank Geary. Geary seems to use curved surfaces in many of his buildings, although Geary’s designs seem to want to unfold, where Cité du Vin seems to want to wrap around itself. Designed by architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières from XTU architects. I’ll be following your blog. Your article about Ceja Vineyards caught my attention since I did some photography for the Vinyeard a few years ago for an article that appeared in an airline magazine. I also had the pleasure of a private tour and one of Amelia’s excellent meals.
Ha, you are ahead of me, I haven’t had the privilege of a meal with Amelia.