| 69 T T Richard Loader Emphasis on excellence in wine and architecture Paul Rolfe Architects received an award in the Commercial Architecture section for the Cellar One project at Cloudy Bay Estate. Paul Rolfe Architects: Cellar One Cloudy Bay ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Paul Rolfe Architects has a long history working with New Zealand’s premier winemaker Cloudy Bay Estate on a broad range of architectural projects, and understands the company’s emphasis on excellence both in its wines, and its approach to buildings. That intimate knowledge was reflected in the 2023 Nelson and Marlborough NZIA Awards, where the Wellington based architectural practice received an award in the Commercial Architecture section for the Cellar One project. Located on the outskirts of Blenheim, Cloudy Bay established as a vineyard in 1985 and is now owned by LVMH Group (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy). A relatively boutique vineyard by Marlborough standards, it has a world-renowned reputation for its sauvignon blanc and excellence in wine making. “Cellar One centres around the first building built on the site in 1985,” says Paul Rolfe. “Over the years, Cloudy Bay vineyard has grown up around the old building, which had become unused other than for storage, and was adjoined by a series of cellars and a Cellar Door. In 2018 Cloudy Bay felt the 600sqm building needed to be redeveloped and showcased as the original building.” Cloudy Bay’s architectural brief was to extend the wine making facility by including the building as a working part of the winery; specifically a place where the winemakers could experiment with small batch winemaking. Instead of huge stainless-steel vats, the cellar was earmarked for a range of small vats for wine experimentation. “The brief was also to connect this reimagined facility with the public so that they could get a behind the scenes idea of the wine making process from the Cellar Door, which was not previously possible. “Our response was a large opening cut between the Cellar Door and Cellar One, with a staircase leading to a suspended glass viewing area, which we called The Pod. That enabled visitors to walk into a glazed viewing Pod above the cellar and gain a bird’s eye view of the wine making process, while enjoying a glass of sauvignon blanc.” The concept was signed off by LVMH Group in 2019, and Paul Rolfe Architects commenced preliminary design work. Impacted by Covid, construction work was finally completed in 2022. Reflecting on some of the key design features, Paul says it was always felt that the original Cellar One building should be treated like an artefact, a remnant of Cloudy Bay’s history. “Anything added inside the building was made to look purposely more contemporary, while also complementary in terms of industrial aesthetic. So, they have been done in steel and glass. Also, the directive from Cloudy Bay and LVMH is that all work must be environmentally sustainable. From the outset we implemented a five-star Green Star certification for the building, which is in itself quite a process. There’s a holistic approach to design, which was very important to the client, and we’ve included solar panels and water harvesting on the roof.” Paul Rolfe Architecture is no stranger to collecting architectural awards, and entering the awards process is a reflection of Paul’s training and background as a young architect working in Sydney over a very broad cross section of projects. “Entering the awards allows projects from around the region to be showcased, and when successful it is wonderful kudos from your peers. I’m very fortunate to have a client like Cloudy Bay that has come back to me time and time again, and part of that is that we continue to get these awards. “They see that as a reflection of the quality work I’m doing. But of course, the end result is always a close collaboration with all involved in the project, including Cloudy Bay. “This project also won a Green Star Building Council award and was shortlisted for a New Zealand interiors award in a retail category.” PH 03 578 0850 | 47 Grove Road, Blenheim | www.viridianglass.co.nz • Commercial Glazing • Interior Glazing • Balustrades • Glass Pool Fences • Glass Showers & Mirrors • Glass Windows & Doors - • DRIVEWAYS • LANDSCAPING • CONCRETEWORK • RETAININGWALLS • SITEWORKS • SHED CONSTRUCTON • DEMOLITION Contact Blair 027 618 8654 Proud to be associated with the Cloudy Bay Cellar One Project. www.boydwilsonelectrical.co.nz Phone 03 572 7448 for your industrial/commercial electrical work.
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