oscar niemeyer’s last project is château la coste’s new pavilion

chateau la coste pavilion

Vineyard Château La Coste savors the harmonious symbiosis of wine, art, and architecture on its land, positioned in one of the oldest winemaking regions of France and between the historic city of Aix-En Provence and the Luberon National Park. Within the confines of its landscape, the vineyard now celebrates the entrance of a new pavilion designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Conceived between 2010 and 2013, the pavilion marks the conclusion of the myriad of works and projects Niemeyer had created and his last gift to France, a country close to his heart. The new pavilion, set within a Vermentino vineyard, functions as an exhibition area and auditorium. Visitors journey through a curving, glass elevation that leads to a 380m2 gallery, adjacent to a 140m2 cylindrical auditorium with a capacity of 80 seats.

images courtesy of Château La Coste

harmony among the vineyards

The pavilion’s organic, curving architecture represents Niemeyer’s signature style and blends seamlessly with the surrounding vines and undulating Provençal hills. The dramatic glass façade creates the illusion of a vineyard winding its way through the structure, while the shallow pool at the entrance captures the interaction of light and reflection superbly.

In 2010, Château La Coste tapped Niemeyer to envision a design for the landscape in Provence. The architect flirted with the idea of creating an illusory giant among the vineyards and revered wine as a symbol of mankind’s presence on Earth. It took him more than a year to perfect the design and find a suitable site, and his team began technical visits in 2011.

Architect Oscar Niemeyer’s last project is Château La Coste’s new pavilion

Relationship with France

Since it opened to the public in 2011, Château La Coste has hosted over forty major works of contemporary art, installed in the open air, and five gallery spaces dotted across its 500-acre site. Each year, artists and architects are invited to visit the domain and discover the beauty of this Provençal landscape, with its famed cypresses, stone pines, olive trees, and ancient oaks. They are given the freedom to create site-specific works in an area of the site that inspires them, a philosophy that Niemeyer himself experienced.

Niemeyer had a long and enduring friendship with France. He went into exile in Paris during the Brazilian military dictatorship, lived on Boulevard Raspail, and would frequent La Brasserie La Coupole. Even after relocating to Rio de Janeiro, he said that he would only leave the city for Paris. During his lifetime, Niemeyer worked on a number of projects in France, including the Communist Party headquarters, the L’Humanité newspaper headquarters, the Cultural Center in Le Havre, the Bobigny Labor Council Building, and a private residence in St Tropez.

the undulating waves of the structure