I have always seen Corian® as a material that symbolizes total abstraction – the materialisation of an “absence” that is difficult to construct. How do you make an absence present? That is the difficult and eternal question for an architect who wants to keep the poetry of the design while making it a reality. This is the main reason why I was passionate about the proposition of designing a space in Corian® that talked about light.
For the “Corian® Nouvel Lumières project”, I have attempted to reveal domestic atmospheres linked with the skin of Corian® and with this diffusing, intriguing power that gives the material different degrees of translucency.
I also wanted to play with the contrast between the monolithic look of Corian® – made possible by the material’s apparent seamlessness – and the sense of refinement that is contained in its mass. This is a very mysterious dimension of the material. I reveal it by playing with back-lighting, with bas-relief engraving, and with the abstraction of patterns interacting with the attraction of luminescence. It is also a question of revealing the ultra-smooth character of the skin of Corian® and making shadows and light reflections play on the surface with a surprising sweetness.
In addition, I decided to evoke atmospheres linked to the different components of the house: kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, library

Jean Nouvel