Winery Bélair-Monange / Herzog & de Meuron

The Bélair-Monange winery in Saint-Émilion is designed to meet the future needs of the estate's winegrowing operation. The program integrates sustainably into the town of Saint-Émilion, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1999; the project is both a place of production and promotion. The four main areas dedicated to the wine-making process are the harvest receiving area, the vat room, and the barrel cellars. For the reception of private clients, the project includes a tasting room as well as a reception room that can accommodate approximately 100 people. The project is a direct commission which continues a long-standing relationship, initiated some twenty years ago, between the Moueix family and Herzog & de Meuron. Bélair-Monange is the fifth joint project and the second winery, after the Dominus Winery in Napa Valley, California, that we have worked on together.

Materials can carry memory. They do more than finish a space; they can anchor it, shape atmosphere, and connect interiors to broader cultural and material narratives. Some architects and designers explore local techniques, natural resources, and craft traditions to balance cultural preservation with modern functionality, introducing context and depth. This is not necessarily a return to the past, but a reinterpretation of inherited knowledge to create architecture that resonates with contemporary needs.

Founded in 2006 in Copenhagen, Cobe Architects has become known for its focus on public life, urban transformation, and strategic master planning. From cultural buildings and public spaces to large-scale urban developments, the office has played a central role in shaping Copenhagen's contemporary identity, particularly through its work on harbor regeneration. Among these, the Nordhavn master plan stands out as one of Europe's most ambitious waterfront redevelopments. During the Copenhagen Architecture Biennial, ArchDaily's Editor-in-Chief, Christele Harrouk, met with Mads Birgens, Head of Urbanism at Cobe, at the firm's office in Nordhavn. In the conversation, Birgens reflected on the evolution of the project since the office first won the open international competition in 2008, and on the broader lessons of designing cities for proximity, diversity, and long-term adaptability.

An abandoned commercial space in a lively Lisbon neighborhood, Campo de Ourique, was transformed into a compact flat with a small backyard.