Ancient Monastery in Anjou, France Transformed Into a Magnificent Hotel & Restaurant. (Yellowtrace)

Paris-based design duo Patrick Jouin & Sanjit Manku of Jouin Manku have redesigned the interior of an old Saint-Lazare monastery in France, transforming it into a rather tremendous hotel and a restaurant. Keeping the layers of 1000 years of history and the original beauty of the mansion in tact, the two designers aspired to create an elegant environment fitting of the location.

Throughout the history, Saint-Lazare has always been a place of communal life. It once housed the monks, before becoming a shelter for nuns, later being transformed into a hospital while the abbey was a prison, eventually becoming a hotel and a restaurant in the 1980s. Jouin Manku introduced their own pared-down and elegant style, resulting in a luxurious, graceful and refined interior that sits in perfect harmony with the magnificent ancient monastery. Oh so French and très chic!

The diversity and rich atmosphere offered throughout the Abbaye de Fontevraud makes up for a captivating experience of the past and present. Everything was designed specifically for the project – all the furniture, lamps, bed and tableware contribute to a soothing atmosphere, accentuating the original features and soul of the historic landmark.

“We quietly slipped into the Saint-Lazare priory, immersing ourselves in its history and its uniqueness. We tried to capture its essence, from its monastic simplicity to its prison austerity via the wisdom and philosophy of those who built and lived here. Then we had to fine-tune our approach, to give life to a contemporary vision that would respect and preserve the spirit of the building. We didn’t want the visitor to forget where they were. On the contrary, we wanted to assure an intimate experience of the site, allowing the visitor to appropriate fragments of the past in comfort. Achieving this also meant rising to the challenge of the constraints imposed by the building’s classification as an historic monument, notably that we were not permitted to touch the ceilings and the walls. The best approach was to find a way to turn these constraints into opportunities.” - Jouin Manku

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