High above the coastline of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the French Riviera, not far from Monaco, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s legendary villa, La Pausa, is preparing to re-open its doors.
After a “meticulous restoration” led by renowned American architect Peter Marino, the estate will open in June 2025—not as a museum or hotel as some had predicted, but as a private residence with a difference. Writers, artists and designers will be invited for residencies, reviving the spirit in which Coco Chanel once hosted artists and visionaries in the past, including Salvador Dali who created 11 of his most epic art pieces during a four-month stay at the villa in 1938, according to Chanel.
The French luxury fashion house, which was founded by Gabrielle Chanel in 1910, announced last week that La Pausa will be a “private home and site for cultural creation, inspiration, and education, continuing Chanel’s commitment to the arts”.
About La Pausa and Chanel
The villa was conceived and designed by Chanel herself (in collaboration with architect Robert Streitz) in 1928. The Côte d’Azur property provided the fashion designer with a sanctuary away from her busy business and social life in Paris.
La Pausa became her “beloved second home” (and the design, including a staircase and chapel, was in fact partly inspired by the Aubazine orphanage she lived in as a teenager). According to Vogue, the seven-bedroom estate was named after ‘the pause’ (or rest) that Mary Magdalene took nearby, as legend goes, during her journey from Jerusalem after the crucifixion of Jesus.
It was here at La Pausa where Chanel cultivated “an art of living that balanced elegant relaxation and invigorating freedom”.
Yana Peel, Chanel’s President of Arts, Culture & Heritage, said on LinkedIn that while Chanel was at La Pausa “olive trees were climbed, ideas unfolded around the dinner table, and rugs were rolled up to make way for dancing.” Mornings were spent sleeping in, and afternoons playing tennis, relaxing in hammocks, and wandering into nearby Menton.
La Pausa became an “emblem of Chanel’s success and independence”, says Chanel.
Chanel heritage projects
The villa, which had subsequently been sold to an American couple, was purchased by Chanel in 2015. It forms part of the CHANEL Heritage Sites program, dedicated to restoring “places of cultural significance in France in Mademoiselle Chanel’s life”.
La Pausa falls under the umbrella of the Chanel Culture Fund led by Peel, according to WWD. Other heritage projects include Chanel’s apartment at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris and the Aubazine Abbey.
“Gabrielle Chanel had a clear vision that La Pausa should be a place for ‘pause,’ a home of one’s own in which to convene artists and thinkers,” Peel said in a statement. She said that for a “roaring decade” La Pausa provided that, and will once again offer that “tranquil yet stimulating environment, free from the distractions and constraints of everyday life” to those who may not have had the freedom or resources to otherwise flourish.
View this post on Instagram
Architect Peter Marino behind La Pausa’s restoration
New York-based architect Marino, who was tasked with restoring La Pausa to its former glory, is the award-winning maestro to many luxury brands from Louis Vuitton to Cheval Blanc and has a long history with Chanel. Using old photos he has recreated the interiors of the home exactly as they were, including Chanel’s bed. Much of the furniture is Chanel’s originals, some acquired through auctions. A coffee table book, compiled by Marino of the process, will be published in September. .
Chanel’s ties with the South of France
Coco Chanel had a strong affinity for the South of France, inspired by its relaxing elegance and natural beauty. It’s where she accidentally invented sun-tanning (in 1923 while on a yacht trip), and of course where her famous perfume – Chanel No. 5 – was created (in Grasse). Apparently La Pausa’s windows are clustered together in groups of five, in celebration of the signature perfume.
Invite Only
True to its original spirit, the villa will remain a private residence, and will be accessible by invitation only, Chanel said. According to Avenue Montaigne, the resident chef is Arquimedes Rodriguez who was trained by Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco at Mirazur (the fabulous Menton restaurant which boasts three Michelin stars).
WWD reports that Chanel’s own creative teams will also have an open invitation to La Pausa, as well as “friends of the house, clients but also celebrities who are in Cannes” (according to Hélène Fulgence, head of heritage sites at Chanel).
The first guests – artists – are expected next month, and a writers’ retreat is scheduled for November.
