Madeleine is a distinctive, steam-bent oak sculpture for French vermouth manufacturer, Noilly Prat, designed and built by STORE associates Kevin Green, Gregory Nordberg, Ned Scott and Frances Reynolds.
The sculpture is the product of a commission awarded for winning the Le Prix de la Sculpture Noilly Prat, an international prize run by French vermouth manufacturer, Noilly Prat, to design a sculpture for their visitor centre in Marseillan, France. The sculpture consists of two interlocked oak shells and is inspired by coopering and the processes involved in the maturing of Noilly Prat. The frameless and freestanding sculpture is constructed from 400 pieces of oak each of which is soaked in water for two days, steamed for forty-five minutes and bent over one of two custom-made moulds to achieve a unique curve and twist. The two oak surfaces intertwine to form an enclosure where the air becomes infused with the scent of camomile, coriander, nutmeg and orange rind which are used in the production of Noilly Prat. In contrast, the outside of the oak shells are untreated and vulnerable to the effects of weathering.