Cellar Extension at Domaine de Malmont by ARTELABO Architecture

Set within the historic landscape of Villeneuvette, France, the Cellar Extension at Domaine de Malmont by ARTELABO architecture is a carefully articulated industrial architecture project that balances functional wine production requirements with architectural continuity and heritage sensitivity. Completed in 2023, the 291-square-meter extension forms part of a remarkable architectural ensemble, where the new intervention seeks not to compete with its surroundings but to strengthen the coherence of the Domaine as a whole.

The project responds to the need for an expanded wine cellar while maintaining a strong physical and visual relationship with the existing structures. Rather than operating as a standalone addition, the new cellar is conceived as an architectural continuation, directly connected to the original wine cellar and extended laterally to interface with an adjacent hangar. This deliberate configuration allows the extension to integrate seamlessly into the site’s working landscape, reinforcing the logic of wine production while respecting the historic character of the estate.

A defining architectural gesture of the project is the roof extension, which performs both functional and spatial roles. At ground level, it creates a sheltered grape reception area, improving operational efficiency during harvest periods while protecting the process from climatic exposure. At the scale of the Domaine, the roofline becomes a unifying element that visually binds the new and existing buildings, ensuring that the extension reads as a natural evolution rather than a contemporary rupture.

The site’s topography plays a central role in shaping the project’s spatial organization. The wine cellar is distributed across multiple levels, enabling a gravity-based winemaking process that minimizes mechanical intervention and supports traditional production methods. Internally, the layout unfolds across three interconnected levels, allowing safe and efficient movement throughout every stage of wine production, from grape intake and processing to fermentation and storage. The extension maintains continuous physical and operational connections to the existing cellar, ensuring a coherent workflow throughout the entire facility.

Materiality and exterior finishes are deliberately restrained, echoing the tones and textures of the Domaine’s existing buildings. This architectural restraint reinforces a sense of permanence and belonging, giving the impression that the new cellar has always been part of the estate. Openings, façades, and structural elements are composed to align with the rhythm and proportions of the surrounding architecture, subtly expressing contemporary construction while remaining deeply rooted in the site’s heritage context.

Through its measured architectural language and site-responsive design strategy, the Cellar Extension at Domaine de Malmont exemplifies how industrial architecture can engage respectfully with historical environments. ARTELABO architecture delivers a project that supports modern wine production demands while preserving the identity, continuity, and spatial harmony of a longstanding viticultural landscape.

All photographs are works of  Mary Gaudin