Born in Portugal, Claude Correia, with a passion for construction sites (thanks to his father), studied climate engineering at the Lycée Hyppolyte Fontaine in Dijon (1973-1974). He then attended the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Dijon, studying descriptive geometry, learning “The history of art and real architecture”. After his military service, he resumed his studies at the École d’Architecture in Montpellier (DPLG) from 1982 to 1988. Back in Burgundy, in Saulieu, he worked for a project management company. Then acquiring it and setting up his first agency…

L’Atelier Correia Architectes & Associés appeals in the Côte-d’Or for its modern projects. “We are creators of Bliss!” His agency was thus selected to design the “Cité des Vins et des Climats de Chablis”, scheduled for completion in June 2022. “We are also working on the “Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie” in Dijon,” says Claude Correia. “I walked the Pilgrims’ Path to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle… While meditating! You have to be in harmony with nature, as referred to in “Analogical Architecture”.

At L’Hostellerie de Levernois, elegance takes its place beneath the century-old trees of a fine rural property. “I made a suggestion to Séverine. And we climbed up to the roof… “A village under the trees” became our project. Seven suites with mezzanines. The idea was a new vision of L’Hostellerie, with a desire for movement in the park. In the suites, each guest must have a “framed view”. A new vision. “You have to adopt simple techniques and ecological materials. The rooms must be well-lit.” Lastly, he sets importance on light variations, essential to create different ambiances depending on the times of day or evening.

“Christophe Tollemer and I work in close collaboration. We wanted a tasteful, light and airy atmosphere. The space can be of various dimensions… Our partnership worked out well. I appreciated his way of working. A project I undertake must give the impression of being in a beautiful home. All the actions in our lives are linked to our memories…” 

“When I was 10, I had a real emotional awakening when I discovered the Maeght Foundation,” says Christophe Tollemer. “It left a very deep mark.” A cabinetmaker by training, he proved to be an interior architect of real genius. “I opened my firm 25 years ago. For me, nothing is impossible! I like to engage in a dialogue with my clients. From the start, you must think about the flow of movement around the hotel and the rooms. For inspiration, you always need an attentive eye and a clear mind. My parents introduced me to culture.”

Elegance and poetry in different forms. A real virtuoso. “My philosophy? Never be confined to one style!” His personal touch: well-designed, inventive, sensitive demands… He studies everything, ponders, to attain perfection. In 2021, he signed his name to the rebirth of Le Grand Contrôle in Versailles. A huge success.