FRANCE is a porcelaine decoration project for Bernardaud by Albert Schrurs (from the Geneva-based studio ALLEGORY). The project is the result of a Workshop led by Pierre Charpin in the MAS Luxury course given by ECAL. The project was selected by the French manufacture to be produced in a limited edition for their Foundation and is currently exhibited in Limoges in the “Le Décor est Planté” exhibition along with other projects from several international designers and some students.

Statement by the designer: Being an Architect, I was attracted by working with an aesthetic close to my background and fundamental references. I then remembered this amazing marketing story about Michelin, the giant French tire manufacture: In 1900, for the Paris “Exposition Universelle”, they decided to give free “RED GUIDES” to their customers. These guides would actually recommend “good restaurants and hotels” around the country, but it would also be an invitation to drive to these culinary destinations and so to use their tires. From then on, the Michelin Red Guide is considered as one of the most respected reference for gastronomy critique and the best Chefs fight for its stars (ranking system).

My project is a tribute to both the amazing road network and gastronomy. By juxtaposing the 30 different plates (5 different sizes), we discover a giant map of the French roads and best restaurants. The back of the plate allows identifying the position of the plate on the map and on the front size, a cardinal arrow indicates the orientation of the plate by indicating the North.