On art, bringing nature inside and getting out of your comfort zone, with architect Jean-Philippe Nuel and artist Lucas Beaufort

Nestled in the pristine alpine hamlet of Tignes, our new resort, which opens on December 4, is constructed and designed by architect and Club Med habitué Jean Philippe Nuel.

But here, forget the predictable.

When it came to choosing art for the hotel, Nuel decided to partner with artist and skater Lucas Beaufort who revealed a giant bear sculpture, as a nod to the protective power of nature.

Speaking over Zoom, we discussed how they connected the outside to the inside and why you need collaboration to come out of your comfort zone.

Jean-Philippe, you have designed many hotels for Club Med, what attracts you to these projects?

Jean-Philippe Nuel: On a project, there is usually a double aspect. First of all, the client by itself. Club Med is a major brand; in fact, it is almost a heritage company. It's interesting to work with a strong and already established identity—for me, it's a source of inspiration, not a constraint. Also, these projects are located in beautiful sites. Club Med is like a small town. It is a place where you can do everything. What’s exciting is creating just that, a multifaceted place that feels just like a small town. If we had to compare with the profession of pastry chef, a Club Med project is like making big cakes, and it's nice to make big cakes sometimes!

“Club Med is like a small town. It is a place where you can do everything. What’s exciting is creating just that, a multifaceted place that feels just like a small town.”

Tell us about the inspiring beauty of Tignes then.

Jean-Philippe Nuel: Tignes is all about the nature. Here, you find nature almost in its primary state, it is extreme nature in all its strength, at altitude. But Tignes is also a contemporary station. It’s interesting to understand how the mountain and the contemporary mix.

For this project, you collaborated with a young artist from the street art world and skateboarding culture. Did you want to get out of your comfort zone?

Jean-Philippe Nuel: In all hotel projects, we call on artists and we work as a team. This is how I like to work. Club Med wanted to integrate signature works of art for Tignes and so I immediately thought of Lucas. It was obvious for me; his work and his universe are in perfect harmony with the identity of the club and with Tignes.

Lucas, tell us about the first time you met Jean-Philippe.

Lucas Beaufort: We have a friend in common who has been telling me about him for several years. When we finally met, it was instinctive. As an artist, I constantly want to discover and rediscover myself. I want to be surprised.

And this is the first sculpture you make...

Lucas Beaufort: Yes, this is my first real sculpture. It was an extraordinary experience; it's one thing to have an idea, it's another thing to execute it. Can you imagine it weighs 500kg!

Jean-Philippe Nuel: You went from art to construction! This is almost architecture.

Lucas, what did you learn from confronting yourself with such a different exercise coming from the skate scene?

Lucas Beaufort: In reality, skaters have always adapted, and the luxury world has always been inspired by urban culture. Working with Jean-Philippe didn’t feel new to me.

Jean-Philippe Nuel: I try to build a universe project by project. There is no longer any real barrier today. Even when I use a luxury code, I like to twist it and mix up the references. I like to ask people; what is luxury in 2022?

Jean-Philippe, are there things that you have allowed yourself to do thanks to the presence of Lucas?

Jean-Philippe Nuel: For my part, my work was already quite advanced, so no. But I loved the narrative he built around the giant bear sculpture. This is no longer a simply decorative element; it’s a statement.

So Lucas, why a bear?

Lucas Beaufort: I was asked to come up with a sculpture of an animal and it immediately came to me: a bear in Tignes would be extraordinary. I met some bears during a trip to Canada and I loved the protective symbol they represent. I like the image of the warm, cheerful, love-giving bear. It brings you back to childhood and all you want is to hug it.

Jean-Philippe Nuel: What is interesting is that there is a certain ambivalence in this sculpture, it is not a simplistic answer. The bear was the last predator in Europe and it takes refuge in the mountains, but the bear is also the cub of children. The sculpture is very orthonormal, very structured. Is this the original, symbolic bear or the teddy bear? I love that this sculpture interrogates and sparks conversations.

“I like the image of the warm, cheerful, love-giving bear. It brings you back to childhood and all you want is to hug it.”

Jean-Philippe, which space was the most fun to conceptualise?

Jean-Philippe Nuel: The reception area is a difficult space to deal with. It also serves as a bar and entertainment area; it is a global living space where the whole village meets and lives together. In Tignes, this space is very bright and open on a slope that imposes itself almost like a curtain. In summer it will be like a monumental green wall that takes up the whole view and in winter it will look infinitely white, so there is a different interaction with nature that will take place. The space is so big that this work is at the limit between architecture and landscape. This is not a domestic scale anymore, and I find a kind of jubilation in domesticating a space like that.

“In summer it will be like a monumental green wall that takes up the whole view and in winter it will look infinitely white, so there is a different interaction with nature that will take place”.

What advice would you give to a young artist?

Lucas Beaufort: You have to cut your teeth. There is what you learn and then there is the practice. You have to work and be curious to test new things out!

Jean-Philippe Nuel: Both knowing how to listen and being stubborn. I am very open but at the same time I know how to fight for my ideas. When I know I'm right, I don't give up, I'm uncompromising. You have to know how to get the client out of his comfort zone, take them somewhere new. The reason why we work is to find new ideas—not to settle for a comfort zone.