Platinum Winner of the International Architecture & Design Awards 2026

The Distillery Forge

Architecture

Industrial & Manufacturing Facilities

Concept / Professional Category

Architect / Designer:

Simzer Kaya

Studio:

SK Architects

Design Team:

Team Members
Lead Architect & Designer/Founder : Simzer Kaya
3D Modelling and Rendering : Amir Arsalan Dehnad
Technical Drawings and Interior Design : Mobina Shafiei
Structural & Civil Engineer : Hasan Evrensel
Mechanical Engineer : Asım Adataş
Electrical Engineer : Ali Tilki

Country:

Cyprus

The Distillery Forge is a contemporary industrial architecture project located in the Haspolat district of Nicosia, conceived as a unified spatial system where production, structure, materiality, and experience are distilled into a single architectural expression. Rather than concealing its function, the project embraces the logic of making and positions whiskey production as a visible, legible, and celebrated act. By placing manufacturing at the forefront, the architecture transforms production into both a functional process and a spatial experience.Centered on whiskey production, the complex is supported by complementary programs including wine bottling, basement storage, administrative offices, and tasting and event spaces. Together, these elements form a production campus where industrial activity and public engagement coexist, inviting visitors to observe and experience the production process.The spatial organization is structured around three primary architectural blocks production and bottling, tasting and events, and administration anchored by a basement level that serves as the infrastructural backbone. This organization establishes an efficient operational diagram, allowing circulation and production flows to function seamlessly while enabling architectural clarity to emerge from functional logic.Approximately 1,800 m² of controlled storage space is located in the basement, designed for long-term stacking and aging. Access is provided both externally via a service ramp and internally through a freight elevator, ensuring a continuous relationship between storage, production, and distribution.The architectural language of The Distillery Forge is rooted in the tectonic legacy of the Industrial Revolution. An exposed rolled steel structural system forms the primary load-bearing framework, enabling clear spans of up to 24 meters and creating column-free interiors that allow flexibility for equipment layout and future adaptation. Brick, used in dialogue with steel, introduces texture and warmth, mediating between the monumentality of the structure and the human scale of experience.At the center of the complex, a transparent glass volume emerges as the conceptual and spatial heart of the project, connecting production and administration. Hosting tasting events, exhibitions, and public gatherings, this space maintains visual permeability to the production areas, transforming manufacturing into an architectural experience.Sustainability strategies are integrated directly into the architectural form, including photovoltaic panels embedded within folded roof planes and rainwater collection systems reintroduced into the building’s operational cycle. Through the synthesis of industrial heritage, transparent production, expressive structure, and environmental responsibility, The Distillery Forge presents architecture as a process of continuous refinement much like the distillation it houses.

SK Architects

SKarchitects, founded in 2009 by Simzer Kaya, is a boutique architectural studio based in Cyprus. Simzer Kaya holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University for the Creative Arts in Kent, UK, earned in 2008. Passionate about steel frame constructions, she values the material’s flexibility and its ability to create wide, open spaces.
The studio specializes in detail-oriented, innovative designs, offering tailored solutions for each project. Simzer Kaya leads a skilled team of three architects and three engineers, collaborating closely to achieve bold and functional designs. Known for their honest, open approach, SKarchitects embraces cutting-edge technologies and techniques, particularly in steel construction. The studio is renowned for its fearless attitude toward challenging projects, pushing boundaries to deliver distinctive, forward-thinking architecture that reflects creativity, precision, and modern aesthetics.