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Château Labourdonnais Renovation

In 2006, the Château which has been owned by the Wiehe family for 150 years undertook an extensive renovation of 3 years after showing signs of wear.

Château de Labourdonnais features typical 19th-century “Creole house” architecture, influenced by French and Mediterranean styles. Built between 1856 and 1859 with great care and inspired by Italian neoclassicism, the house spans two levels. It is surrounded by a double colonnaded gallery that provides shade and better ventilation. The house is built on a basalt stone base and primarily constructed from teak wood, with a roof covered in teak roof tiles. The layout follows the style of 19th-century townhouses, with a central hallway leading to the dining room on one side and the grand salon on the other. The bedroom is located upstairs. Traditionally, the kitchen was in a small external pavilion, which has now been converted into a conference room, the Ernest Wiehe Conference room, for meetings, seminars, and temporary exhibitions.

The interior décor is carefully detailed, with the owner’s monogram appearing on various items throughout the house. The dining room features Victorianstyle décor with furniture imported from Britain, while the bedroom and salon are styled with French influences, including Napoleon III chairs. The floral-patterned wallpaper originally came from the French manufacturer Jules Desfossé, and the hand-painted panoramic wallpaper is from the Alsace-based workshop of Jean Zuber.