It is 6:30 p.m. when the first of the 700 guests enter this historic address, under construction for 3 years.
At the head of this revival, an impressive creative trio composed of the Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, the interior designer Gwenaël Nicolas and thearchitect landscaper Christophe Gautrand, whose vision and the sustainable development approach are one.
Glass of champagne in hand and blankets on the shoulders, the visits to the place follow with a must-see listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2025 : the chalk pits, galleries dug out of the chalk which turn into naturally refrigerated cellars. Continuing the visit, we discover a 7,000 m2 wooded park studded with a myriad of works of art, 110 to be precise, signed by 36 artists.
Lætitia Casta, Raphaël Quenard, Kelly Rutherford, Lucas Bravo, Clémence Poésy and Finnegan Oldfield were also there to support Maison Ruinart and discover its new architectural identity.
However, the real star of this evening was not one of these celebrities but rather the new and intriguing building that Sou Fujimoto, Minister Catherine Vautrin, Antoine Arnault and Frédéric Dufour, CEO of Ruinart, inaugurated. Once the ribbon is cut, it’s time for the show. DJ and producer Michaël Canitrot offered a musical and visual tableau projected on the building on which two dancers performed… On the roof. Enough to kick off the start of the festivities in style.
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Baptized Nicolas Pavilion, in homage to its founder, this new building is built in cut stone, wood and glass inspired by chalk quarries and the shape of champagne bubbles. There are different spaces, including an amazing “Bar by Ruinart” in which visitors can do a tasting and a refrigerated cellar, open to all, containing, among other things, vintages only available at this address. For Sou Fujimoto “This transparent building is the image of Ruinart. Both heir to traditional know-how, symbolized by the champagne-colored cut stone, and an innovative vision, as evidenced by the raised roof.”
The facade of the Pavillon Nicolas at 4 rue des Crayères in Reims.
© Chloé Le Reste
10 p.m., the guests gradually approach the stage set up opposite the Pavillon Nicolas. Is something brewing? Yes ! Zaho de Sagazan is preparing to give a private concert. Cshe who, on August 11, had captivated the French with her interpretation of “Sous le ciel de Paris” by Édith Piaf at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, is indeed present, in a total Louis Vuitton look (ambassador obliges) . Under the gaze of the audience, the 24-year-old singer gave an electrifying performance, notably performing “The Symphony of Lightning” and “Aspiration”.
