On the slopes of Méribel, Le Coucou is the colorful contemporary version of a classic alpine chalet. The structure, designed by the French architect Pierre Yovanovitch, scatters 55 rooms, including 39 suites, two large independent chalets, two restaurants, a spa, a wellness area and two swimming pools over a gently terraced slope, with interiors and exteriors perfectly aligned to create the optical illusion of a single visual perspective.
The ample internal spaces with high ceilings in pale wood offer an original combination of vintage pieces and innovation, geometric regularity and handcrafted imperfection, striking hues ranging from bordeaux to ochre to turquoise, all the way to the black of some of the ceilings, and equally clear geometric lines for the floors and carpets.
In his very personal way, Yovanovitch further enhances the spaces with works by highly acclaimed or emerging artists, and with more contextualized references such as the inimitable cuckoos by the sculptor Eric Croes, hanging on the wall in the BeefBar restaurant. The references to the mountains, though discreet, are certainly not lacking. The Savoyarde chairs have been completely reinterpreted, the carpeting seems to retail snowflakes in its weave, and wood is the protagonist in collaboration with leather, metal, ceramics and glass. The gaze can even discover owls on the cupola frescoed by Mathieu Cossé, or others in ceramic inside the rooms.
Ethimo makes an important contribution thanks to creativity can indulge in pure escapism and new sensations of wellbeing. For the spa the brand has supplied the Sand cots with a structure in teak, in a lively chromatic range of upholstered pieces that adds personality to the neoclassical setting of the indoor pool, already theatrical due to a series of arched niches framing the space, and a bow window that separates indoors from outdoors, offering a sense of total openness.
Ethimo also updates ‘alpine codes’ in the outdoor spaces, replacing the traditional red and white checked prints with a tartan pattern from the Allaperto collection designed by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez. The name (“in the open”) is like a manifesto of new possibilities of relaxation in an outdoor, high-altitude context, which in this case – thanks to the combinations of colors and materials – reflects exceptional creative verve.
