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PACE Architectes marks three decades of reshaping Champagne's built landscape
Founded in Reims in 1996 by Giovanni Pace, PACE Architectes celebrates its 30th anniversary having redesigned facilities for some of the region's most prominent champagne houses.
What happened
PACE Architectes, the Reims-based practice founded by Giovanni Pace in 1996, is marking its 30th anniversary in 2026. Over three decades, the firm has become one of the most active architectural practices working within the Champagne region, undertaking commissions for a number of the appellation's most established houses.
Among the projects attributed to the practice are the redesign of caves at Pol Roger in Épernay, work on the Taittinger site, the reconfiguration of chais at Barons de Rothschild in Vertus, and the redesign of Royal Champagne in Champillon. Together, these commissions span the breadth of the region's principal production and hospitality locations.
Why it matters
The built environment of a champagne house is not incidental to its identity. Caves, chais, and reception spaces are the physical expression of a house's relationship with its wines, its history, and its visitors. That a single practice has shaped so many of these spaces across Champagne over thirty years speaks to the depth of trust placed in PACE Architectes by the region's producers.
The range of projects also reflects a broader pattern of investment across Champagne — in heritage preservation, in modernising production infrastructure, and in creating spaces that receive an increasingly discerning international clientele. Each commission represents a considered decision by a house to invest in its physical fabric, and the cumulative effect of that work has contributed materially to how the region presents itself today.
Context
Giovanni Pace established PACE Architectes in Reims in 1996, positioning the practice at the heart of a region whose architectural needs are shaped by the particular demands of sparkling wine production — deep chalk cellars, temperature-controlled storage, and facilities that must balance industrial function with aesthetic expectation.
Reims and Épernay remain the twin poles of the Champagne trade, while villages such as Vertus and Champillon represent the region's wider geographic spread. The anniversary marks not only the longevity of the practice but its sustained relevance to an industry that continues to invest in its physical and cultural infrastructure.