Descending into a Subterranean Sensory Experience at La Colombe’s Secret Cellar
La Colombe’s Secret Cellar is proof that when a brilliant team of designers joins with a trusting client, big things can happen in a mere 50 m². For this project, that team consisted of three phenomonal names: MR. Design Studio, One to One by Martin Döller, and Wiid Design’s Laurie Wiid.
A subterranean descent
Formerly a tiny storage room, the Secret Cellar is an adventure in exploring the idea of what happens below the forest floor as one descends into its subterranean level. To accentuate the feeling of being underground, MR. Design Studio stripped the concept down to its basic elements, symbolising a sub-forest world; each element has purpose and function.
Channelling juxtaposition
Earthy walls made of hand-chipped cork by Wiid Design, hollowed to store wine, create an experience that’s transportive and quiet. Piercing roots in the ceiling create intentional lighting and drama, while bronze mycelium creeps up the walls. For the sommelier’s station, an oversized core drill stands lit by the craftsmanship of One to One by Martin Döller, in all its glory. The collective result is a hypogeal world that contrasts the light and open dining area upstairs.
As you walk down the stairs to the cellar, the cork magically mutes sound, absorbing all distractions. By the time you’ve reached your tasting plate and glass of wine, you have surrendered to the experience before you; you are at the mercy of the chef, the sommelier, and the senses. A journey of merging the external world with the internal one has just begun.
This article is an extract from our 2024/25 Coffee Table Edition. Click here to read the full issue.
