Pour 2020

Img 1: Picking of grapes during harvest

Art of Wine

“A drink descended from the Heavens”! That's what wine is considered in many cultures. Wine is deeply and historically rooted in our society. It is present at both festive and somber occasions. It is a symbol of tradition, connection, craft and high spirits. Its popularity among people has been no secret.

The art of winemaking and viticulture has evolved as a part of life, culture and diet since time immemorial. Nevertheless, in this long historical path, one thing remains unchanged; the association of wine with gastronomy, history, origin, local quality products and dignified social settings.

Wine industry is often referred to as a ‘beautiful factory’. It is one of the least polluting industries and is a major economic engine in various countries like America, Australia, Italy, France and South Africa.

But can a winery or a vineyard be more than just wine?

 

Img 2: Different steps involved in winemaking process.

 Unique Asset

Wine tasting as referred as a complete sensory experience . It's about hospitality, experience and history.A winery and a vineyard share a unique relationship with each other. A winery is an exploration of boundaries between a man-made structure and natural landscape.

Millions of people visit Cape Town every year to indulge in the experience of wine, food and natural landscapes of vineyards. Winery architecture plays a key role in the complete tasting experience. Just like Napa Valley which is famous for its wine estates, everything from century-old castles to cutting-edge contemporary designs.

According to a recently released food and wine tourism report 2018, 63% of the tour operators believe that the tourism grew in Cape Town due to wine industry. Wine business proves to be a bright light in gloomy economy of South Africa. The perpetuity of the business makes it a reliant industry for economic growth. The beauty of wine tourism is that, it not only helps to establish a personal connection with consumers, but also has the potential to significantly grow the job market.

 

Img 3: Economic disparity within stellenbosch which can be overcomed by utilising the wine industry.

Oppurtunity

The tin shacks of Stellenbosch, South Africa sit at the top of hill overlooking one of the most beautiful vineyards in the world. Kayamandi or sometimes referred as container mandi, is a township founded in 1950’s as a specific non whites area for laborers who were working in surrounding farms. The area hosts hundreds of acres of vineyards but number of wineries or wine-tasting rooms are only limited.

While at the same time the city centre of Stellenbosch is flourishing economically through its wine business. The stark reality of the thousands of impoverished people living just above the city centre is a woeful reminder of how majority of industries are catering to the needs of elites. Combining wineries and vineyards would attract tourist traffic and create more jobs, thereby changing the urban fabric of the area.

Wine industry provides an opportunity to connect people over culture, tradition, nature; at the same time empowering the economically weaker section of the society. Kayamandi sits on a hill full of potential for creating a modern day winery that not only works for providing an experience but also for the upliftment of the economically backward area.

 

Img 4: Acres of vineyards ready to be utilised.

Brief of the competition

What kind of architecture can be adopted to host the most ancient yet the most contemporary human activity?

Can architecture blur the borders between an industry, nature and culture?

Can architecture be responsible for increasing wine tourism?

Can experience of the wine enthusiasts and tourists be improved through architecture?

How can building an industry help in employment and changing the urban fabric of the area?

Can a winery be more than just wine tasting?

Challenge: Designing a modern day winery for kayamandi that not only provides a complete consumer experience but also contributes towards socio-economic development of the community around it. Where the flow of visitors should trigger social and cultural interaction.

 

Objectives

Experience: Providing an experience to the user through architecture.

Functionality: All the spaces involved in winemaking process and their functionality.

Cohesive: Creating a fusion of natural landscaped vineyards and man made winery.

Commerce: A platform for sales to grow the economy.

The following objectives can be a point of beginning to conceive this design. Participants can assume their own contexts and users before initiating their design process.

 

Img 5: location of kayamandi

Kayamandi, South Africa

Kayamandi is a suburb of Stellenbosch located in the western province of South Africa. Like any other township, Kayamandi was founded for laborers who were working on the surrounding farms. It is located just few miles away from Cape town (areas that have been benefiting from wine business). These towns receive a lot of tourists every year. Kayamandi can benefit from its vineyards tourism if it starts utilising the industry to its full potential.

 

Img 1: selected site location for proposal

Site Plan

The site is located amidst the vineyards of Stellenbosch near Kayamandi. It is located near the primary road providing ease of accessibility for the tourists as well as for locals. The township is located in the proximity of a huge water body that acts as an irrigation dam for the vineyards.

• Site area: 58,771 sqm
• Ground coverage: 10%
• Height Restriction: 8 meters
• Site coordinates: 33°54'15.02"S 18°50'25.44"E

 

Programme

Wine production is a process that requires a series of steps[1]. Participants can fill their own data in given blanks. The above data is free for modification, if the design demands so. Different functions can be clubbed together, added or deleted if required.

 

Judging Criteria

The entries will be judged by an international jury of the competition on the following criterions:

 

About Experia

Experia serves as a part of UNI in the realm of experience based architecture and tourism. As worlds becomes a place of experiences than belonging, experia envisions a future where tourism is designed more intentionally and architecture becomes a part in shaping it. It intends to break the fusion of traditional design barriers and methodologies by making it a platform for experimentation. It embarks on mobilizing ideas where creators can elementally question the buildings we create. It is a research initiative dedicated to providing opportunities for designers from all domains to explore ideas that go beyond the restrictions of usual architectural discourse.

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