The 1898 Cellier d'expédition Mumm in Reims

Located at 4 bis, Rue de Mars, adjacent to the east facade of the hotel de ville, the Cellier d'expédition Mumm is a former champagne production site and current cultural venue in Reims. Built in 1898 under the direction of architect Ernest Kalas for the Jules Mumm champagne company, the building is protected as a historical monument. It was owned by Mumm GH in 1905, followed by Veuve-Cliquot and Jacquart, before becoming the property of the city in 2010.

The facade serves as a public advertising example, divided into two distinct parts. One side features red brick with a large forged circular door shaped like thunderbolts. The upper decorative part presents five scenes depicting the stages of champagne production. These include the harvest with a press and baskets, the vinification process in a large foudre, the addition of fish glue and fermenters, the corking and stringing of the cork, and the final stages of stirring, disgorging, and dosage.

The decoration features mosaics by Auguste Guilbert-Martin, based on designs by Joseph Blanc and Octave Guillonnet. The cariatides were created by Joseph Wary based on designs by Émile Peynot; they represent four virtues of wine: Virtus, Ingenium, Amor and Gaudium. Since 1917, the building has played a civic role, housing the municipal council following the bombing of the hotel de ville.

In April 2015, the building was inaugurated as a multicultural exhibition and production space. The basement is dedicated to exhibitions, while the ground floor contains two performance halls. The upper floor is home to workshops for comics, photography, and painting.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons