Architecture studio Ales Fiala has designed Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic. The building stands in open countryside, so it had to sit quietly in the landscape. The architects gave it a gently curved green roof, shaped like a wave or a low hill between the surrounding hills.
A roof that disappears
From a distance the planted roof is hard to see, and it will blend in further as the vegetation grows. New shrubs and mature trees have been planted around the building to help create a good microclimate over time.
The winery is built in reinforced concrete over two floors. Wine is made, stored and archived on the lower level, which sits under the terrain. The ground floor holds the tasting room, seating and sales, and there are two apartments for occasional overnight stays. Exposed concrete, glass, metal, oak and acacia wood support the organic form. Placing the building in the vineyard also cuts down on moving grapes, materials and workers around the estate.
Sun, shade and glass
The visitor areas face the sun through a glass facade to make use of passive solar energy. To stop them overheating in the hottest months, the glazing is thermally insulating triple glazing with oak slats in front of it. The overhang of the curved roof and a pergola on the patio give visitors shaded places to sit outside.
Inside the winery
In the tasting room, wood walls and floors soften the concrete ceiling, and a fireplace forms the focal point. Wine barrels are kept behind a curved glass wall, so visitors can see part of the production process. The apartments follow the rounded geometry, and their doors open to semi-private patios with views over the vineyard. At night the building glows on the hillside.
As a general point, setting production spaces into the ground and covering a building with planting can reduce its visual impact in open countryside while keeping the interior more stable in temperature.
Project credits
- Design: Ales Fiala with Tomas Bilek and Bronislav Bures (civil engineers)
- Landscaping: Zdenek Sendler
- Furniture design and interior details: Daniela Hradilova
- General contractor: Navlacil stavebni firma
- Photography: BoysPlayNice
- Location: Czech Republic
- Source: Contemporist