The entry in the programme for the Thursday dinner of the Grand Chapitre announced: “We are pleased to invite you to a unique and enchanted evening that promises to stimulate your senses. Prepare to be transported to a world where lighting effects and musical ambiance will take you on a journey through time.”

And so the participants were indeed surprised to find that they had been transported by coach to Bordeaux’s submarine base which was built during the Second World War.

From the beginning of the 1960s until the end of the 1990s, the units were partly occupied by companies, including the base’s metalworking workshops. In summer 1999, the repurposed base opened with a multi-disciplinary programme orientated towards the arts (photography exhibitions, musical events, immersive shows, etc.).

The Bassins des Lumières
In 2020 the City of Bordeaux entrusted Culturespaces with the management of four wet docks (pens 1 to 4) of the submarine base, which they called the ‘Bassins des Lumières’. Culturespaces has thus brought the base back to life by creating the largest French digital art centre holding major immersive exhibitions, including this event for the Chaîne with the dinner provided by a catering company.

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Tuna tataki
crunchy vegetables, guacamole and black sesame
Clos des Lunes d’Argent 2018 - Bordeaux

Poached Landes chicken, crispy skin, confit thigh
creamy Gironde shitake mushrooms
glazed seasonal vegetables
Château Laborde - Lalande de Pomerol

Vanilla, chocolate and fleur de sel tartlet
Cognac Camus XO 'Borderies'