Cité Du Vin / XTU Architects

Architects: XTU Architects
Year: 2016
Photographs: Delphine Isart, Patrick Tourneboeuf, XTU, Julien Lanoo, Paul Desmazieres
Manufacturers: Alucoil, Adapta Color, Guardian Glass, Isosta, SADEV, Sonogamma, Thebault Groupe
Architect-in-Charge: Anouk Legendre, Nicolas Desmazières
Project Leaders: Mathias Lukacs, Dominique Zentelin
Client: City of Bordeaux
Owner: Fondation de La Cité du Vin
Research Team: Joan Tarragon, Gaëlle Le Borgne, Stefania Maccagan, Cristina Sanchez
Partners: Casson Mann, Scenographer (innovative tool of the permanent tour), SNC-Lavalin, Engineering, Le Sommer Environnement, Environmental engineering
On Site Team: Delphine Isart, Claire Leroux, Thibault Le Poncin, Joan Tarragon
Site: 13644 m²
Budget: 81M€ excluding VAT/ 55M€ (Architecture + Scenography)
Credits: XTU, Delphine Isart, Julien Lanoo, Patrick Tourneboeuf
City: Bordeaux
Country: France

Cité du Vin, designed by XTU Architects in Bordeaux, France, captures the essence of wine through its fluid form and symbolic references. The structure, inspired by vine stock, swirling wine, and the Garonne River’s eddies, reflects what the architects describe as “seamless roundness, intangible and sensual.” Its curved exterior, clad in silk-screen printed glass and perforated aluminum panels, shifts with light, mirroring the river. Two entrances—one facing the city, the other the river—enhance the sense of movement, while the viewing tower provides panoramic views of Bordeaux. The interior follows a flowing circulation, with the central staircase guiding visitors through an organic, evolving experience. Spaces transition from a dark, cellar-like ground floor to brighter areas, with mirrored surfaces reinforcing the ascent toward light. At its core, a wooden vaulted structure, reminiscent of boats and wine barrels, evokes an undulating sky, reinforcing the theme of movement and transformation.

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“This building does not resemble any recognizable shape, as it is an evocation of the soul of wine between the river and the city.”

La Cité du Vin makes a strong architectural statement, standing out with its bold curves and distinctive form. This iconic structure, with its golden frame, creates a city within the city, offering a dynamic space filled with experiences to explore.

The primary goal of the building’s architecture was to establish a connection between La Cité du Vin and its surrounding spaces through a sense of continuous movement. XTU Architects’ Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières designed a space shaped by symbolic elements, including gnarled vine stock, swirling wine in a glass, and the eddies of the Garonne River. Every architectural detail reflects the essence of wine and its fluid nature, described by the architects as “seamless roundness, intangible and sensual” (XTU Architects).

The roundness expressed in the building’s exterior is also reflected in its interior spaces, materials, and scale. La Cité du Vin features a golden shimmer reminiscent of the light-colored stone typical of Bordeaux facades. Its facade consists of silk-screen printed glass panels and perforated, iridescent, lacquered aluminum panels.

Shifting with the sunlight and time of day, the building interacts with the river through its reflections, drawing strong parallels to the ever-changing appearance of wine. Its distinctive form encourages a new perspective on the flowing river.

The building’s two entrances, positioned on either side, create a sense of movement, mimicking the ebb and flow between interior and exterior spaces. One entrance faces the city, while the other opens toward the river. Higher up, the viewing tower offers visitors panoramic views of the illuminated city and surrounding landscape, resembling a watchtower.

According to XTU Architects, the main tour follows the natural flows of wine, the river, and visitor movement. As they navigate the building, visitors become voyagers, circulating around the central staircase and reinforcing the continuous sense of motion.

Visitors remain in constant motion, experiencing a continuous cycle of discovery. Each individual explores new spaces in a fluid, rotating movement that leads to an open-ended, limitless destination, resembling a journey through the winding paths of a cultural landscape that stimulates the imagination. The original intent was for the building’s design to evolve alongside the scenography, transforming the architecture into an immersive voyage.

The lower level evokes a dark, cellar-like world, symbolizing the roots of the vines. The ground floor, with its raw aesthetic, serves as an immersive entry point and transitional space. Mirrored reflections create a sense of disorientation, guiding visitors upward toward the light. This light first appears in the courtyard, then leads them through the structure until it intensifies. Rather than following a fixed path, visitors navigate freely through multiple worlds waiting to be discovered.

The experience is designed to provoke curiosity rather than provide straightforward answers. At times, the architecture recedes, while in other moments, it reemerges. The wooden arch of the permanent exhibition, the most striking space within La Cité du Vin, resembles a shifting sky—an essential element in winemaking that dictates the harvest. This wooden sky rises, undulates, and narrows, reinforcing the ever-present theme of movement.

The wooden structure recalls a timber frame, boats, and the journey of wine as it travels. It creates an immersive escape from reality, embodying roundness, fluidity, and elevation, much like the experience of wine itself. The architecture fosters a sense of exploration, guiding visitors into a discovery-driven mindset and providing the ideal conditions for them to engage in and complete this immersive, initiatory journey.