Faustino Winery
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Nigel Young (website) Download Original
Winery with production arranged around a trefoil plan and a capacity of one million bottles per year
The plan expresses the three main stages of production: fermentation in steel vats; ageing in oak barrels; and maturation in bottles. At the core of the building are the visitor facilities and operations hub, where all stages of the production process can be controlled.
After harvesting, the grapes are delivered to the winery via a road that rises on to the roof, where they are dropped directly into the hopper, from where they progress through the production process.
The fermentation wing is exposed to the outside, allowing carbon dioxide to escape naturally, while the wings containing the barrel and bottle cellars are partly dug into the sloping site to create favourable conditions for the ageing process. This allows the building to exploit the thermal properties of the earth, and in conjunction with the thermal mass of the concrete structure, regulate the internal climate.
The roof canopy shades the glazed atria and exposed vats and incorporates photovoltaics. The concrete structure is clad in Corten steel shingles, which complement the tones of the vineyards.
A raised public gallery at the heart of the winery extends into glazed mezzanine areas, allowing visitors to see the different stages of production. Between the wings, reception and administration areas, with terraces and water pools overlook the vineyards.
Data
- Begun: 2007
- Completed: 2010
- Floor area: 12,500m2
- Sector: Industrial
- Address: Gumiel de Izan, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Professional Team 
- Architect: Foster + Partners
- Project architects: Ana Agag Longo, Chris Lepine, David Nelson, Emanuele Mattutini, Gerald Evenden, Jamie Valle, Josep Mercader, Juan Gabrial La Malfa, Luca Latini, Nadine Pieper Bosch, Norman Foster, Pedro Haberbosch
- Client: Bodegas Faustino SL
- Structural engineer: Arup
- M&E engineer: Arup
- Quantity surveyor: Davis Langdon
- Lighting consultant: Claude Engle
- Project manager: Prointec
- Local architect: Prointec
- Main contractor: FCC