Sacré coeur, Stone House

In the heart of downtown Bordeaux, France, ‘Sacré coeur, stone house’ by Theo Coutanceau Domini, takes shape as a restructured and redone ruin in which the main living space combines all the functions. The project amplified by the beauty of raw elements while the lack of adornment and opulence underlines the archaism of its materials. The residential structure emerges as a place in which the traditional house is no longer perceptible and where a rustic atmosphere isolates, and summons the user’s imagination. Nothing in this interiors draws attention with disproportion or is overly exposed. The intrinsic beauty of graying woods, oxidized pieces, and eroded stone leads occupants into its incomplete and fragmented parts. The place is not reduced only to pleasure but to encourage users to re-examine their own notion of comfort disregarded from luxury. The pleasure of this place is in its serenity and charm. Furthermore, each element frees itself from unnecessary exposure, while there are no finishes, as the structure is the finish and exhibits the beauty of raw things. Only bare necessities persist, furnished without excess; a monastic table in solid walnut, a bench, a white sheet stretched to show films, and leather seats on the floor complete the interior. The project functions as a place of stripping, that does not respond to a form of domestic life such as one can find in traditional houses. The project unveils a peaceful and friendly ambiance, bathed in indirect, exhausted light, which allows nuance, and the intensity of the illumination is forced to retain the beauty of the shadow. The border of spaces irritates curiosity and gives rise to a feeling of immensity even if the place is small. This environment, revealed in its most primitive state, entering people into a new way of reacting, experiencing, and understanding.