His eye sparkles in front of his latest achievement. Throughout his career, Jean-Paul Legendre nevertheless delivered buildings with his family business, which in 70 years has become a heavyweight in construction with more than 2,200 employees. But for his latest project, “the craziest” according to him, the builder wanted to “let go”. This is confirmed when you discover the 4-star hotel which has just opened its doors in the domain of the Château des Pèresin Piré-Chancé to the south-east of Rennes, which his family bought in 2011.
Facing us is a real architectural UFO, a kind of tree with a retro-futuristic design that rises into the sky, with floating capsules hanging from its branches. In the middle of the countryside, and only a few tens of meters from a castle dating from the 18th century, the project is surprising. “I don’t claim that everyone likes it,” emphasizes Jean-Paul Legendre. I don’t mind being told it’s ugly either. Because architecture, like contemporary art, is there to make people react. »
The highest room at 28 meters from the ground
Overlooking the vegetable garden and the immense park of the estate, in which dozens of monumental works are exhibited, this luxury hotel, called L’EssenCiel, offers 42 similar rooms in the shape of a nest, including 36 perched above the ground. Around the central trunk, these metal capsules of 22 square meters follow the movement of a spiral and rise gradually from 5 to 28 meters in height. “Each room offers a different height and view,” says architect Anthony Rio, from the Unite agency.
But before the hotel came out of the ground, its designers often tore their hair out given the complexity of the construction site, the cost of which exceeded 10 million euros. “The most complicated thing was still obtaining the building permit,” says Jean-Paul Legendre. Seeing the project, the firefighters notably widened their eyes. “It took us a little time to tick all the boxes for safety, fire and accessibility standards, but we got there in the end”, underlines the former boss, who left the reins of the eponymous group to one of his sons.
All the comfort of a 4 star
Open since the beginning of September, the hotel-spa, equipped with a swimming pool, a hammam, a sauna and a jacuzzi, completes the offer of the Château des Pères estate, which already hosts two restaurants, for receptions or seminars as well as artists’ studios.
For a night perched for two, know that you will have to pay around 300 euros. The price of an atypical place “conducive to disconnection and contemplation,” according to its director Armelle Lirzin.