Saving grace: Designers respectfully transform 12th-century abbey

05 : 08 : 2014 Symbiotic Architecture : Abbaye De Fontevraud : France

Saumur, France – Since it was founded in 1101, the Abbaye de Fontevraud has been everything from a Saint Lazarus priory to a Napoleonic era prison and a cultural centre.

Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku
Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku
Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku
Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku Abbaye de Fontevraud by Patrick Jouin and Jouin Manku

For its latest iteration, architectural design firm Jouin Manku has designed a hotel and restaurant that respect the building’s past while bringing it into the modern era.

Owing to its historic status, the designers Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku had to be careful to preserve the ancient architectural details of the abbey, so they were not allowed to let anything touch the walls or the ceilings. In the restaurant, that meant that specially built navy blue partitions were added to create new seating and add warmth to the space. In the hotel, the duo used a clean colour palette and soft textures, embracing the spirit of reflection within the space. 

‘We didn’t want visitors to forget where they are. On the contrary, we wanted to ensure an intimate experience of the site, enabling visitors to appropriate fragments of the past in comfort,’ explain the designers. ‘Achieving this also meant rising to the challenge of the constraints imposed by the building’s classification as an historic monument. The best approach was to find a way to turn these constraints into opportunities.’

In 2012, we identified Symbiotic Architecture as a way for brands to use architecture in ways that respect its original usage while giving it new life. For more, read the Symbiotic Architecture microtrend. 

Discover More Daily Signals
Netflix’s Famous Last Words signals a new era of digital legacy

Daily Signals

Netflix’s Famous Last Words signals a new era of digital legacy

Dr Jane Goodall, the renowned ethologist and conservationist passed away this week. An interview she recorded for Netflix’s new series Famous Last ...
Technology : Legacy : Longevity
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Od...
Foresight Friday : Content Creation : Media
Stat: Americans’ trust in media declines to record low

Daily Signals

Stat: Americans’ trust in media declines to record low

Media : Trust : Consumer Behaviour
London welcomes the world’s first Museum of Youth Culture

Daily Signals

London welcomes the world’s first Museum of Youth Culture

The world’s first permanent museum dedicated to youth culture is set to open in Camden, London, in December 2025.
Youth : Culture : Museum
Swedish insurer hacks social media algorithms with mental health anthem

Daily Signals

Swedish insurer hacks social media algorithms with mental health anthem

Swedish insurer Länsförsäkringar Göteborg och Bohuslän has launched Detoxify, a subversive campaign that uses music to retrain harmful social media...
Sweden : Social Media : Algorithms
Stat: Gen Z shuns the values most desired by hiring managers

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z shuns the values most desired by hiring managers

New research from behavioural-science company Becoming You Labs reveals that only a small fraction of American Gen Z hold the three main values tha...
Youth : Gen Z : Work
Stella McCartney debuts plant-based feathers at Paris Fashion Week

Daily Signals

Stella McCartney debuts plant-based feathers at Paris Fashion Week

At Paris Fashion Week, Stella McCartney unveiled a striking alternative to bird feathers: plant-based Fevvers.
Stella McCartney : Fevvers : Feathers
Pedestrians are walking faster and lingering less in public spaces

Daily Signals

Pedestrians are walking faster and lingering less in public spaces

Pedestrians in American cities are moving faster and spending less time lingering in public spaces, according to a new study from MIT’s Senseable C...
MIT : Wellness : Design
Stat: Taylor Swift’s new album movie breaks US box office

Daily Signals

Stat: Taylor Swift’s new album movie breaks US box office

Taylor Swift’s latest project, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, turned a listening event into a box office hit, earning £24.6m ($33m, €28....
Pop Culture : Advertising : Media
Chanel’s le19M brings Parisian craftsmanship to Tokyo

Daily Signals

Chanel’s le19M brings Parisian craftsmanship to Tokyo

Chanel’s le19M has landed in Tokyo with La Galerie du 19M Tokyo, an exhibition that unites Parisian artisans and Japanese craftspeople in a celebra...
Luxury : Fashion : Design
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN