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Pressoria
By : Casson Mann
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 15th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Culture, Sport & Leisure / Museum & Gallery : Gold Certification
Pressoria is a sensory, poetic, and engaging visitor experience, which tells the story of champagne and its unique production in this region of France. Casson Mann created an innovative scenographic journey, where visitors “unlock the secrets hidden within every flute”. With each sip, they come to enjoy an exciting mixture of elemental ingredients, geological forces, and cultural practices.
Pressoria lies within former pressing centre Maison Pommery, on the historic slopes of Aÿ-Champagne. The objective was to combine the old and the new harmoniously. Restoring the pressoir to its original site, the design preserved the authenticity of the Pommery building—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—while providing a captivating, contemporary experience. Wine museums are notoriously difficult to make interesting to wide audiences. Rather than presenting an exhaustive history of champagne, this museum aims to make visitors feel. Its story of landscape, terroir, and the savoir-faire of champagne-makers proves beautiful and welcoming to all, from connoisseurs to passing tourists.
Aromas, textures, sounds, visuals, and interactives have great sensory impact. Installations express the elemental basis of champagne: a textured, scented piece of chalk, displayed like an icon, communicates the geology of Champagne. Playful interactives prove popular with children—like digital roots which catch their feet—and the vineyard is enhanced by powerful champagne aromas.
Technology immerses visitors in the poetry of champagne. Exploring both innovative and age-old champagne-making practices, a projection-mapped installation tells the story of the harvest and brings the historic pressoir back to life. The apex of the visitor experience is the wrap-around cinema which celebrates ‘bubbles’, using the work of scientific researcher Gérard Liger Belair. Visitors interact to change the bubble trails on the walls—a joyful expression of champagne.
Collaboration
Lighting : Atelier Hervé Audibert
