Wine architecture, architecture of wine

It has long been said that the Czech nation is a beer lover; however, breweries are closing in our country and beer is being imported from Poland. Beer production today resembles an industrial sector, and quantity often overshadows quality. In contrast, winemaking is on the rise in the Czech Republic. The production of wine is regarded as an art, and winemakers enjoy significant respect. New wineries are being established, and modern architecture and design are beginning to penetrate this traditionally conservative sector. In recent years, environmentally friendly forms of farming have become a trend.

The first examples of modern wineries have appeared in Australia and California's Napa Valley. Winemakers quickly began to realize that promoting their good wines through modern design (bottles, labels, wine houses, guesthouses, etc.) has enormous marketing potential, and they started collaborating with star architects on their corporate style. Notable modern wineries in the portfolios of architects include Santiago Calatrava, Alvaro Siza, and Steven Holl. Austria has become a particularly fertile ground for modern architecture in the field of winemaking. The literal madness of Austrian winemakers for modern design and architecture was evident at the WeinArchitektur exhibition in Vienna's Architekturzentrum. Over 60 modern new structures left no doubt that Austria aims to become a significant player in the current winemaking arena.

From Austria, it is just a short distance to southern Moravia. It was only a matter of time before the first modern wineries appeared in our country as well. The new winery in Drnholec broke the modernist taboo and demonstrated that wine can be produced even in a standardized industrial hall. However, gems of modern architecture have risen a bit further away, in the nearby Popice.

Sonberk and Gotberg
On the southern slopes above Popice, two wineries have been built among the vineyards. The work on their realization began at the same time, but the larger Gotberg winery was opened to the public three years later than the smaller, more discreet Sonberk nestled among the vineyards. The owners of Sonberk relied on the marketing support of VIP personalities – the winery's architect is renowned architect Josef Pleskot, and accolades for Sonberk's wine are penned by Michal Viewegh and director Jan Hřebejk. In contrast, Gotberg chose a long-term conscientious approach to wine production, with a focus on organic farming. The winemakers at Gotberg believe that it is possible to grow raw material of exceptional quality while minimizing environmental impact. The vineyards of Gotberg have been treated from the beginning without the use of systemic chemicals, meaning they meet all the criteria for organic viticulture. At Gotberg, you won't encounter VIP celebrities, but rather sheep that roam between the vineyards, representing an important component of Gotberg's organic farming.

The winemakers also boldly approached the selection of the architect. Their trust was earned by young Brno architect Martin Bukolský. His design follows the latest trends in energy-efficient practices and prominently sits in the landscape above Popice.

The Spirit of Place and Investor
The architecture of the Gotberg winery has been influenced by two factors – the landscape with its morphology, strong eastern winds, and fantastic views of the Pálava Hills rising above the Nové Mlýny water basin, as well as the investor’s desire for a responsible and long-term approach to both work and architecture.

The winery is operationally divided into two masses – the manufacturing section, which largely lies hidden below ground level, extends from the top of the hill; to the south, a three-story administrative section with accommodation and presentation spaces rises above the slope. The architect positioned an atrium between these two masses, with the dominant feature being the crown of a tree. In its shade, wine will be tasted peacefully and sheltered from the wind. Due to the frequent strong eastern winds, the eastern façade is protected by a concrete wall.

The figure of the building is striking and firmly anchored in the landscape. Its generosity reminds one more of contemporary Spanish architecture than of the context of contemporary Czech austerity, which is also indicated by the diverse range of materials used. In this regard, the personality of the investor significantly influenced the architecture of the building, as he spent part of his life in Southeast Asia and brought several tons of beloved materials back to his homeland with him.

Low-Energy House and Its Construction
Ecological winemaking also requires an adequate response in the form of environmentally friendly architecture for the winery. The building utilizes passive energy savings achieved by placing the large manufacturing hall deep below the ground level and covering the roof with a layer of soil about one meter thick. In the future, a vineyard will grow on it. The building also uses all raw materials from the vineyards, with wooden chips being used for heating the administrative, presentation, and accommodation sections.

From a construction perspective, the entrance building is a complex wooden structure anchored into a massive concrete foundation. The timber structure consists of wooden columns, beams, and trusses, utilizing the latest knowledge in fire protection, sound propagation, and thermal techniques in construction.

The manufacturing operation is designed as a prefabricated reinforced concrete skeleton. Its concrete facade made of sandwich precast panels is an artistic paraphrase of traditional stone. The interior walls were built using precise aerated concrete blocks YTONG. Due to their precision, it was possible to minimize the thickness of the costly surface layer in the interior, which meets the strictest sanitary requirements for food production. The construction company also appreciated the ease of processing the YTONG blocks at the junction of the rectangular manufacturing section and the presentation space, which is vaulted with segmental reinforced concrete prefabricates. The combination of the reinforced concrete skeleton and aerated concrete walls turned out to be the best implementation path. Thus, one of the highest quality wines in southern Moravia is safeguarded by walls made of YTONG.

Architecture Like Wine
Architecture is often compared to music or film by theorists, but it has much in common with winemaking as well. Architecture is a long-distance run. An architect refines their ideas and professional opinions throughout their life. The same goes for caring for vineyards. Many internal and external factors influence the quality of wine and architecture. We are pleased that during the construction of the Gotberg winery, one of these factors was also the building material produced by Xella CZ, and that 2010 was a very good vintage for architecture in southern Moravia.

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Gotberg Winery
U Sadu 394, Popice

author: Bukolsky architekti s.r.o. (www.bukolskyarchitekti.cz)
use of YTONG material: walls of the reinforced concrete skeleton in the production and presentation sections of the winery