Bayonne, Aquitaine 64100

Exclusivity, remarkable architecture signed. This sculptural architecture melted into the relief is the work of the architect Yves Salier, one of the founding fathers of the Bordelaise School. The route begins with the discovery of this astonishing horizontal white silhouette, as if embedded in the hill. An imposing and almost discreet construction, made up of masses of concrete which are balanced with astonishing lightness by a whole set of overhangs. Behind its moderately tiered walls is an origami of concrete, glass and transparency. As soon as you enter, the eye discovers everything at once: living room, fireplace, office, masterful dining room, layouts that blossom poetically thanks to a staging of the space, cascading volumes and a raw materiality. Life is at the center of the building. At each end, from East to West, more intimate spaces constitute the 5 bedrooms and bathrooms. Thanks to the large windows which extend around the 260 m2, the omnipresent light is piercing and penetrating. Between the south terrace opening onto the landscape, and the north patio, half shaded, the living room offers perfect transparency. In direct dialogue with the plant opulence of the park that surrounds it, 'Tenaya' (as it is called) offers a wide variety of magnificent frames on the blue and hilly horizon of the Pyrenean foothills. Completely restored in 2018 while respecting its original period by the Touton firm, this enchanting and mentally stimulating architecture received the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture of the 21st Century Label. A unique property of its kind. @Photo credit: Thomas Liaunet