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LIFESTYLE

FOR THE CRYSTAL ARCHITECTURE COLLECTION, THE ARCHITECT TRANSFORMED HIMSELF INTO A DESIGNER OF STUNNING DECORATIVE OBJECTS.

W hen Silvio Denz sought out Mario Botta to design the wine cellar for the Château Faugères estate in Saint-Émilion, it was the start of a partnership that seemed as natural as it has been fruitful. A series of bold and innovative projects would follow. Who better than this leading exponent

Géo vase Wine cellar at Château Faugères ©JB Nadeau

of geometric form in all its purity to deftly play up the symmetry and radiance of crystal? Some years ago, for the two-Michelin starred restaurant at Villa René Lalique, Botta created a glass pavilion at one with nature as a contemporary reflection of the famed property in Wingen-sur-Moder. And for the Crystal Architecture collection, the architect transformed himself into a designer of stunning decorative objects. Fascinated by the work of Lalique’s master glassmakers, he dreamed up Géo , a perfectly square, transparent crystal vase bristling with pyramidal shapes, crafted using the lost-wax technique.

©Karine Faby

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