the new wine cellar, docked to the existing, historic column cellar with a tunnel-like stairwell, extends seamlessly underground, integrated with the sloped terrain. the extension is used for the production of wine and inside the rough grain of the plaster walls contrasts with the stainless steel tanks. in the highest angle of the site, a funnel-shaped polygonal tower, cladded in bronze panels, emerges from the site playing with the mountain peaks. it contains an office and tasting room in the upper level and grape harvesting machinery in the lower. the entrance to the cellar is emphasized by a concrete wall which works also as a junction: on the one side it directs visitors to the parking area and on the other it goes along a ramp leading to the new underground cellar. new and old now find continuity: the oak barrels and the steel tanks, the old vaults and the extension are now connected through a journey that goes from tradition to innovation.
Lead Architects: Gerd Bergmeister, Michaela Wolf
Photo credits: Gustav Willeit