AW² was appointed to renovate the Krug Family House in Reims, France with a view to receiving guests for them to discover the Maison. In preparing the groundwork for the architectural project, we drew our inspiration from Joseph Krug, the founder of Maison Krug, his standards of excellence, and his values. The refurbished house was to embody the essence of Krug Grande Cuvée champagne: generosity and refinement, the expression of savoir-faire and the pleasure of tasting. The project was developed around the idea of creating a unified Krug Family House, while acknowledging the architectural identity of each building. This approach echoed the composition of Krug Grande Cuvée, which expresses the individuality of each component wine in the harmony of an outstanding blend. Through our time spent on site prior to the works, we realised that what gave the house its special character was the ‘clos’, an inner garden formed by the four adjoining houses, which we decided to showcase.

The interior design project is centred on the experience felt by each guest from the moment they cross over the threshold, through the heavy, dark cherry-coloured wooden door, located at the corner of Boulevard Lundy. The guest enters a world of French refinement, an atmosphere evoking both elegance and the warmth of a family home. The sequence of spaces, from the lounge to the drawing room and on to the cellar, leads to the tasting room with its centrepiece: a wall displaying the 400 wines from which the Cellar Master selects the champagnes that compose the Krug Grande Cuvée. Throughout the house one encounters the ‘K pattern’, a discrete motif derived from the Krug logo, in varying configurations like a musical theme. Talented artisans, such as Claire Pegis for the glasswork and Biobject for cabinetmaking, created exquisite, bespoke design pieces that give the Krug Family House its unique character.