Lucy Bullivant explores the wine regions of Spain and discovers a winery that works with its topography and environment to create an award-winning drop.
January 13th, 2011
The new low-lying Bodegas Portia 150km north of Madrid designed by Foster & Partners has a unique feature: it uses the slope of the land to assist in the winemaking process.
Trailers drive up the slope of the building onto the roof, and directly unload the grapes into the harvesting tubs taken below into cold storage rooms.
The fruits of the Tinta Fina del País (Tempranillo) on the 14.5 hectare site are a new initiative for Faustino SL in the Ribera del Duero, where some of Spain’s finest wines are produced.
Portia’s have only been on the market for a short time but have already won international awards. Foster won the competition for the new bodegas in 2004 for his ‘practicality and functionality’, say Faustino’s directors, essential for a €25m, 21st century winery practicing ground-breaking oenology which also respects the environment.
A striking trefoil structure in concrete with a deep overhanging roof, its wings patinated Corten steel shingles (they have photovoltaics to capture energy), the 14.5m high winery is partially embedded into the landscape, visible from the restaurant.
The wings are based on the three stages of wine making: fermentation, ageing and bottle ageing, all visible from and controlled by the operations centre at its heart, which efficiently uses gravity to advance production.
Steel, oak and glass are used, but also old wine barrel slats on the walls of the public areas, reception, gallery and restaurant. To get hands-on insight, Foster’s team took part in two harvests.
Faustino’s ‘new star’ is literally part of the terroir.
Foster & Partners
fosterandpartners.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
BLANCOCULINA-S II Sensor promotes water efficiency and reduces waste, representing a leap forward in faucet technology.
Schneider Electric’s new range are making bulky outlets a thing of the past with the new UNICA X collection.
BLANCO launches their latest finish for a sleek kitchen feel.
In this candid interview, the culinary mastermind behind Singapore’s Nouri and Appetite talks about food as an act of human connection that transcends borders and accolades, the crucial role of technology in preserving its unifying power, and finding a kindred spirit in Gaggenau’s reverence for tradition and relentless pursuit of innovation.
Wall mounted desks are gaining recognition as one of the most space-efficient setups for a working-from-home situation.
Vivid Sydney was the stage for Jaguar to launch the all-new Jaguar F-Pace, an immaculately designed performance SUV sports car.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Effortless design and Italian craftsmanship – Billiani is renowned for its refined timber furniture, where simplicity of form is married with exquisite materiality.
Patrick Keane, Founder of Enter Projects Asia, is redefining architecture through sustainability and organic materials. In this interview for SpeakingOut!, he shares his journey, design philosophy, and vision for the future of sustainable design.