Project Details
- Project Name
- Martin's Lane Winery
- Architect
- Olson Kundig
- Project Types
- Retail
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 34,800 sq. feet
- Awards
- 2021 AIA - National Awards
- Shared by
- Madeleine D'Angelo
- Project Status
- Built
An abridged version of the below paragraph appeared in the May/June 2021 issue of ARCHITECT as part of expanded coverage of the 2021 AIA Architecture Awards.
Charged with all the romance, post-industrial glamor, and rustic charm for which Seattle-based Olson Kundig is known, a new winery in British Columbia is an astoundingly accomplished work of agricultural engineering. Martin’s Lane Winery occupies a prime location on the slopes of the Okanagan Valley, one of the Northwest’s most celebrated vinicultural regions. As a result, the designers were able to fully integrate the structure into the winemaking process—proceeding gravitationally from the uplands down into the building itself, where the wine is casked and kept naturally cool in cellars tucked into the slope. The winery is an efficient producer of exceptional pinot noir while also providing a perfect spot for sipping, with guest facilities and tasting rooms looking over sun-dappled fields.
Project Credits
Project: Martin’s Lane Winery, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Architects: Olson Kundig. Tom Kundig, FAIA (design principal), Steve Grim, AIA (project manager)
Mechanical Engineer: Rocky Point Engineering
Structural Engineer: Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers
Electrical Engineer: Falcon Engineering
Civil Engineer: CTQ
General Contractor: PCL Construction
Landscape Architect: Paul Sangha Landscape Architecture
Lighting Designer: Niteo
BC Collaborating Architect: Meiklejohn Architects Inc.
Interior Architecture: GCA Architects
Winery Design Consultant: Laurence Ferar
Size: 34,800 square feet
Materials and Products
Bathroom Fixtures: GCA Tailor Made Stone sinks – Ceramica Cielo, Faucets by Gessi,
Cabinets: GCA Tailor Made Blackened steel shelfs
Ceilings: Exposed structure (production areas); Oak slats (hospitality areas)
Exterior Wall Systems: Weathered corrugated steel
Flooring: Concrete; White oak random width flooring; Inset glass tiles (barrel cellar tasting room) by Interstyle Ceramic and Glass
Furniture: Curved sofa (hospitality areas) by Vladimir Kagan (vintage); Armchair (hospitality areas) by Blackman Cruz, Chairs (barrel cellar tasting room) by Tonon, Stools (hospitality areas) by Aki France
Metal: Custom perforated steel spiral stair designed by Olson Kundig; Custom blackened steel ribbon stair designed by Olson Kundig
Roofing: Weathered corrugated steel
Structural System: Steel framing (above grade); Board form concrete (below grade / barrel cellars)
Walls: Exposed wood board concrete
Windows and Doors: Alumicor 2200 Series / Glass Canada extruded aluminum storefront
Project Description
This project won a 2021 AIA Architecture Award. From the firm's 2021 AIA Award Submission:
A direct response to both program and site, this winery on the shores of British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake leverages its relationship to the land for two distinct but complementary functions. The third in a series of projects for the client, the winery represents the client’s decades-long commitment to the Okanagan Valley and its importance on the world’s vinicultural map.
The design team was tasked with creating a winery to produce the highest quality pinot noir possible. It is perched on a rocky hillside above the lake, split into two interconnected volumes. The rugged structure features a palette of raw, unfinished materials and neutral tones, and the expected weathering of the exterior’s Corten steel will help it blend into the hillside while minimizing maintenance.
The winery’s production side harnesses the steep slope for the winery’s gravity-flow winemaking process, while the visitor-experience side cantilevers over the vineyards, offering sweeping views to visitors. The winery’s process minimizes the manipulation of delicate grapes for the notoriously exacting varietal, often referred to as the “heartbreak grape.” Recently, the winery’s pinot noir received high marks from both Wine Spectator and UK-based Decanter magazine.
Winery visitors enter through a concrete tunnel that carries them to a subterranean tasting room. Following the light up and through a spiral staircase inspired by the Fibonacci sequence of grapevines, they are then directed to a larger tasting room and hospitality area. Along the way, views of the production process encourage a deeper understanding of winemaking.
Passive principles were employed in the design approach for the function-driven winery. Its integration into the landscape offers natural ventilation, daylighting, and earth cooling that provide a 10% reduction in energy use. The combination of the winery’s windows and topographical placement allows it to capture cool breezes from the lake, funneling them through the space. Unique among wineries, the project requires little to no interior conditioning. Its barrel storage, set into the hillside, takes advantage of stable temperatures to maintain an ideal 54 degrees and 75% humidity with no need for conventional heating or cooling systems.
Despite its remote location, the winery draws aficionados from around the globe. Its popularity has further bolstered the client’s commitment to the economic vitality of the region and its reputation for winemaking.