The International Wine Village, the world's second-largest city dedicated to wine celebrated from all angles, springs into life near Beijing
by Marco Muggiano
An imposing 18,500-square-meter structure, which was created on a French-Chinese initiative thanks to the Foundation for wine culture and civilizations (Bordeaux) and Zhong Pu Hui Group (Beijing). It will be the second-largest city of wine in the world after that of Bordeaux.
The project, named International Wine Village, was conceived by the architects of Architecturestudio (an international studio, based in Paris), as a stone village surrounded by vines, which blends traditional Chinese and French references in a modern perspective. The structure is inspired by the medieval French city of Saint Emilion and is made up of a series of intertwined volumes and buildings of different shapes, which allow visitors to enjoy unique perspectives and points of view.
The focal point of interest is the Universal Wine Museum, a 3,500-square-meter museum surrounded by exhibition halls, stores, experiential rooms, a 400-plus-seat amphitheater, a large tasting area with about 1,000 wine references from around the world, restaurants, a French-style café, the administrative offices, VIP rooms, and a training school dedicated to the world of wine.
The central courtyard surrounded by a gallery and arcades, exuding the atmosphere of village squares in southwestern France, is the heart of the village and hosts events and temporary installations. Visitors will also be able to explore the vineyard areas in the vicinity of Beijing, one of the most important wine producing areas in China. Furthermore, for France, this project represents an opportunity to reassert its supremacy in the Chinese market, despite the recent decline in sales. Construction is scheduled for completion in December 2023, with the opening in 2024 and a target of half a million visitors already in the first year.