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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 in search of a place to spend their summers, a place to welcome their children and loved ones. After many years of visiting friends' houses, it was ultimately an inheritance that unlocked the situation. Ideally located in a still undiscovered corner of the Var coast, this house where they had spent several stays was not laden with memories. This made it easier for them to make it their own and opened the door to numerous possibilities. During the summer of 2021, as the initial sketches took shape, Messieurs S. realized that the neighboring residence was about to be sold. The opportunity to acquire it rekindled old dreams. From an intimate family residence, their intentions then expanded to include a hotel open to travelers and vacationers.

However, the situation would encounter some obstacles in the course of the project. It was deemed too small and too costly; the investment seemed oversized.

Two events would shake up the course of this story. The first concerned the auctioning of the neighboring plot due to a dispute over unauthorized extension works. The property had been under seizure for several years, and the future buyer would be obligated to demolish it. It seemed that a series of unexpected events had entered the design of this project, but its acquisition allowed for the appropriate scale for the envisioned hotel investment.

The second change came from Japan, where two of their children had been living for several years and decided to join them in this venture. Their daughter, who worked in the hotel industry, brought her perspective and experience. Their youngest son, a chef in a renowned fish restaurant in Tokyo, offered to create recipes and take charge of the hotel's restaurant.

Interestingly, proximity to the sea was not a prerequisite in their search for a place. Both being botanists, they primarily desired a vast space to cultivate their extensive plant collection, gathered over the course of their travels and professional lives. However, the seaside location offered a magnificent extension to the garden they hoped to create. The future hotel, a combination of the three houses, will undoubtedly be grounded in nature and life amidst this unique flora. It will also be the place where Messieurs S. have always sought to spend a few days on vacation but now exists only in 1960s Italian films.