There are houses that don’t announce themselves. They don’t stand out behind a press release, don’t impose themselves in urgency. They move forward at a slow pace, as if they were seeking acceptance from the place, to come to an agreement with what surrounds them. In Colmar, one of these houses is taking shape. Imposing yet almost discreet, it rises behind ancient trees, between the walls of a villa with a long history, and the stones of a garden left in peace for a long time. It hasn’t opened up yet, but already, it begins to inhabit the spirit of those who pass nearby.
On Boulevard Saint-Pierre, some stop to observe the construction site, intrigued by the carefully chosen materials, by the way they seem to be restoring without erasing. On Rue Berthe Molly, people talk in hushed tones about a new place, a discreet project. Children have noticed the illustrated tarps. A boat operator recounted, smiling, that the embarkation vessel would soon be finding a soul.
This place in the making is still mysterious, it expresses itself differently. Through the gestures of those working on it: a stone cutter’s hands, a cabinetmaker’s focus on a period molding, an architect’s attentive gaze on an old glass they’re hesitant to replace. Each day, a trace is left, a choice is made, a connection is created.
And then there are the visible signs, barely underlined: an illustration on the ink, a name circulating from mouth to ear – La Villa COSE – like a gentle promise.
This suspended moment, between anticipation and revelation, is precious. It won’t last forever. It precedes the opening, but it’s already the entry into a form of experience. A house is not only a place to be discovered: it’s a story to be shared, before even having set foot there.
By telling this time before, this magazine doesn’t seek to lift the veil, but to extend it even more, with delicacy. Because what is unfolding here is not just a hotel project, but the invention of a new form of hospitality, rooted in a certain idea of Colmar.
One day, the door will open. But in the meantime, let the house be built, stone after stone, gaze after gaze.
