Inauguration of the « Bordeaux La Cité du Vin »
« Bordeaux La Cité du Vin », a unique place dedicated to the world of wine and its culture
« La Cité du Vin will be my Guggenheim. I mean besides its aesthetics, contemporary and original architecture, it is also an economic development tool. It was ironic that Bordeaux, considering its leading position as the largest world wine region. There was not an emblematic equipment honoring one of the major elements of its wealth. Now, It’s done! » (Alain Juppé, Mayor of Bordeaux)
« La Cité du Vin » is located in Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Garonne. It is a unique cultural centre dedicated to “the universal, living heritage of wine“. It was inaugurated on 31 May 2016 by Alain Juppé (Mayor of Bordeaux) and François Hollande (President of the French Republic).
“Bordeaux – La Cité du Vin” is an ambitious and promising oenotouristic place
©Crédit photo Anaka
La Cité du Vin aims to offer a spectacular journey around the wine world, the wine regions, throughout the ages, the vine grapes as well as across countless cultures and wine civilisations. The building extends over 13.350 m2 (square meters). La Cité du Vin was designed as an ellipse. The shape evokes the swirl of wine moving in a glass.
“It’s THE museum of wine!” Inside there are tastings areas, an auditorium, restaurants, shops, gardens, museum, reading lounge, entertainment and numerous art exhibitions (three per year). On the belvedere, visitors can also taste a wine of their choice from a regularly updated selection of twenty wines from across the world. Younger visitors can discover a range of grape juices specially chosen for them.
A pontoon on the Garonne offers the opportunity for tourists to arrive by boat.
©Crédit La Cité du Vin
An economic asset…
« La Cité du Vin is a major cultural landmark which will serve to boost international tourism for Bordeaux as a destination. It will stand as a real gateway between Bordeaux and the wine regions of the world. » (Sylvie Cazes, President of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin)
The aim is to welcome more than 450,000 visitors a year. The construction took over 3 years and has cost €81 million. A significant share was paid by private donors.
Unique, contemporary and “poetic” architecture …
Designed by Nicolas Desmazières and Anouk Legendre (XTU agency) La Cité du Vin is a link between wine, poetry, the river Garonne and the awakening of the senses.
©Anaka / La Cité du Vin
« This curve, matching the curve of the Garonne, is also reflected in the interior volumes, spaces and materials. La Cité du Vin houses a major space in the shape of the permanent tour on the second floor and provides an immersive voyage of discovery into the world of wine. It winds around a central courtyard, allowing visitors to fully enjoy a flowing visit. The area is framed by a spectacular and immersive wooden structure: 574 curving arches, all individually made, and constructed of laminated timber.
Once fully grown, La Cité du Vin will be a dazzling display of golden reflections, reminiscent of the white stone of Bordeaux facades and in dialogue with the lights of the Garonne. This design and the twists it incorporates capture a fluid essence.
Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières have imagined a structure replete with symbolic echoes: the swirl of wine moving in a glass, the coiled movement of a grapevine, the ebb and flow of the Garonne… Their design captures the spirit of wine and its fluid essence: ‘a seamless curve, intangible and sensual. »
©Céline Thiénot / Vertdevin
The « Immersive Scenic », one of the strengths of La Cité du Vin
This tour was created as an immersive and innovative permanent exhibition, making use of digital and interactive technologies (3D images, decoration, aroma diffusion, sense workshops, tasting and video…). Everyone will be able to discover this “Immersive Scenic” tour at their own pace, according to their interests; choosing to be a player or spectator of this visit. Because of this, visitors will feel they are experiencing the heart of the wine culture and history. The tour is available in 8 languages. A special children’s tour is also available.
©Céline Thiénot / VertdeVin
« The permanent tour is an invitation to experience a voyage of discovery, a journey through time and space, exploring the evolution of wine and its civilisations. Both young and old alike will better understand the world of wine and how it has affected the societies and regions of the globe scale since 6,000 BC. From legends, terroirs and landscapes to graphic arts, architecture and literature, the culture of wine is an extraordinary epic which has inspired and shaped the lives of humans for centuries. » (Véronique Lemoine, Scientific Director of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin)
Enjoy your visit!
Jonathan Choukroun Chicheportiche
La Cité du Vin
134-150 quai de Bacalan
33300 Bordeaux (France)
+33 (0)5 56 16 20 20
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