ravenswood winery

18701, Gehricke Road, Sonoma, CA, United States

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ravenswood winery

18701, Gehricke Road, Sonoma, CA, United States

Type

Commercial ›

YEAR

1997

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

With
a view south to the bay beyond, the new winemaking facility for Ravenswood
Winery nestles into the hill at the north end of a working gravel quarry. Within a geographically restricted site, the
project is an orchestration of the circulation requirements of an active quarry
with a new winery, including production facilities and visitor accommodations.

The
building itself is an identifiable vernacular form. The design pays careful attention to how the
shape of the structure comes into view during the approach to the site, the
profile shifting and arching in relation to the hills.

The
plaza serves as both a destination and an integral part of the circulation,
where the paths of the grapes, employees and guests are gathered and
oriented. The building “canopy” serves
as the unifying element holding the disparate forms together.

  Pedestrian
movement was designed to acknowledge the relationship with the surrounding
hills and illustrate the process of the wine making. Visitors enter the production facility via a
cove formed by a “bite” in the building.
The cove becomes a discreet element that creates a pause between the
shed and the landscape beyond. While
ascending the stair nestled into the “bite”, visitors are offered glimpses of
the wine-making process through a series of windows.

  The
design addresses the desire for large functional workspaces while responding to
the wide panorama of the valley. The
building “retains” the hills, while opening to the panoramic view of the
south.