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Project 04

L’ÉTOILE DE MER     

_{PLAGE D’HÉRACLÉE
83420 LA CROIX-VALMER}


<sup>The challenge is to harmonize the elements in this fragmented space. The hotel is not surrounded by or accompanied by a garden; it is itself a garden. Plants come to life within the structure, with vegetated pits segmenting the interior space.

The landscaped space acts as the connector. From the entrance gate to the guest rooms, it stretches and aims to be ever-present, establishing an organic and grounded dimension to the architecture.

This mass of plant species, both endemic and exotic, extends all the way to the sea below. The schools of saupes, colorful wrasses, and small groupers that live among the seagrasses at the foot of the rocks serve as inspiration for the chef and his cuisine. Just as the argan trees of Morocco, the prickly pears of Mexico, or the Japanese loquats that the owners plan to plant for their fruit harvest.</sup>

Messieurs S. were looking for a place to settle during the summer, where they could host their children and loved ones. After years of staying in friends' houses, it was an inheritance in 2004 that finally changed the situation. Ideally located in a still discreet corner of the Var coast, this house, where they had spent a few stays, was not burdened with memories. This made it easier to make it their own and opened the door to many possibilities. Yet paradoxically, they decided not to renovate it, and everyone adjusted to the house and its state of suspension.

The summers went by, but it was in 2020, during the pandemic, that the story took a turn. Learning of the sale of the neighboring plot and the two houses built on it, Messieurs S. made the purchase without hesitation. While the hospitality sector was struggling, they saw a narrow but real opportunity to bring their plan to life: to transform this house into a hotel open to travelers and vacationers.

Thus began an ambitious and demanding project that immediately strengthened family bonds. Two of their children, who had been living in Japan for several years, decided to join them in this adventure. Their daughter, with her experience in hospitality, offered her insights and expertise. Meanwhile, their youngest son, a chef at a renowned seafood restaurant in Tokyo, volunteered to craft recipes and take charge of the hotel’s restaurant.

Aware of the extreme pressures faced by the Mediterranean coastline, this hotel will be intentionally prototypal, paving the way for coexistence and the reimagining of existing structures in harmony with the natural environment. Heatwaves, wildfires, violent storms, water shortages—these are the realities of a Mediterranean climate that is becoming less synonymous with carefree pleasures. This hotel is rooted in these upheavals, steering clear of the international hospitality standards. Designed specifically for this place, and not elsewhere, it will be built on the foundations of the existing structures, using site-specific concrete, and without air conditioning. L’Étoile de Mer will undoubtedly be grounded and alive, nestled within a rich, singular flora—both protected and protective.

And because the horizon is not solely apocalyptic, this hotel aspires to be the kind of place Messieurs S. had always sought to stay for a few days on holiday but could only find in old Italian films from the 1960s. A long-lost simplicity, where community and sharing symbolized the joy of vacationing.