Ontario, Canada
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects

Photography © Robert Burley/Design Archive

Architecture toasts the success of wine

Program: The client envisioned a state-of-the-art facility that would house technology enabling the company to produce premium and super-premium wines. It wanted a recognizable home that would strengthen its brand and provide the label with a unique and powerful identity. Created in direct response to feedback from consumers, the facility would allow guests to immerse themselves in the culture and environment of winemaking.

Solution: The building's simple form unites production and hospitality functions under a single, continuous roof supported by full-span wood trusses. The Great Hall, a large, two-story court with motorized glass doors at either end, serves to orient the visitor to the winery's amenities—tours, tasting bar, café, retail shop, and administrative offices—and creates a convertible space that opens to surrounding vineyards in mild weather. As North America's fourth-largest producer of wines, the client has experienced strong overall growth and success since the new building opened.

For more images please see the November 2003 issue or Architectural Record.

The Winners: Orange Innovations | Hotel Habita | Sekii Ladies Clinic | Start-Up Offices | Inn at Price Tower | Darwin Centre | Apple SoHo | Stealth/Ogilvy | Gannett/USA Today Corporate Headquarters | ImageNet

The Finalists: Automated Trading Desk Technology Campus | Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery | University of Washington | Herman Miller MarketPlace | Beacon Communications Office | New Academic Complex, Baruch College, CUNY | Mott Children's Center

Unbuilt Projects: Great Harbor Design Center

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