Winery Friends of Pavlov

Pálava Barn with Ancient Overhangs

The winery building is located in the vineyard on a gentle northeast slope of the Pálava Hills, offering a beautiful view of the Dyje valley with the Nové Mlýny reservoirs. The landscape influences it. The building is horizontal, calm, and flowing, like the surrounding vineyards. It merges with the landscape, not drawing unnecessary attention to itself. At the same time, it has a very rational structure, inspired by the construction of simple barns. It uses a minimum of building materials and the possibility of construction from local resources. It has the structure of the surrounding vineyards, incorporating their sun and shade.

"I designed the winery after my stay in the Mediterranean; it reflects Mediterranean culture and the sun. It is a logical connection because the Romans once established vineyards in Pálava. Pavlov and wine are one and the same."

The building is designed with the use of natural influences (shading, roof overhangs, predominance of natural ventilation, material division, embedding in the terrain, water retention), supplemented by a source of heat and cold. It can be described as agrarian-ecological, considering the interplay between modern technologies and old principles.

"Once, during a control day while stripping the concrete pillars of the building, the connection between their archetypal expression and the silhouette of the Děvičky castle on the adjacent hill came to my mind. This connection was a powerful experience for me, further intensified by the passion of site manager Pavel Konečný (Bystroň Group) for construction. Control days were refreshing in such a beautiful place with the mentioned connections."

It is certainly worth noting that the building is located in a protected landscape area and is constructed in accordance with its conditions and requirements. As a result, part of it is embedded in the terrain, and its roof takes on the slope of the landscape. The rational engineering structure is based on a module of 6×6 m. Materially, it is divided into a load-bearing part – concrete – and a supported part – wood, in horizontal and vertical. The house's tectonics are inspired by the ancient architrave and lintel. The pillars made of cast concrete with a limestone additive support a wooden roof composed of elements placed perpendicularly on top of each other. The higher, the more delicate the elements become. The roof itself is then vegetated so that it blends with the landscape in distant views.

"In Pavlov, there is beautiful traditional architecture. Contemporary and modern architecture has only arrived in Pavlov in recent years, for example, in the form of an archaeological park or this winery."

At a time when a spectacular winery is being built, this one, on the contrary, turns towards nature and straightforwardness. Visitors are dedicated a tasting room with a view of the castle and the water surface. Everything else serves the production and storage of wine.