Here’s cheers to this brilliant building
Wine making is a “bit of a puzzle” says fourth generation grape grower, Chester Osborn. So why not build a Rubik’s Cube in a vineyard?
Like a Rubik’s Cube mid-twist or a monochromatic Mondrian painting, this inimitable landmark opened to the public late last year.
Chief winemaker and viticulturalist at d’Arenberg Winery in McLaren Vale says his cube, nestled among the vines in South Australia’s McLaren Vale, is an “alternate reality museum” that will change the cellar door experience and winery tourism in Australia.
“Originally, I was going to build a colonial-style building like the 1800s buildings we already have, and then one day I woke up and said to myself ‘Why do the same?’,” Osborn (pictured right) has said.
“Our quirky wine label names are a puzzle to work out and winemaking is a bit of a puzzle too. I wanted something to represent d’Arenberg, and a giant Rubik’s Cube came to mind.”
Osborn’s idea was conceived more than 14 years ago, but convincing his family that it was brilliant, not bonkers, took time. The global financial crisis also stalled the project for a few years.
Finally, in 2014, a project team – including Sarah Constructions, ADS Architects, Bestec and CPR Engineers – was established and construction was underway.
“The unique, never-done design didn’t faze Sarah Constructions,” Osborn says.
The white and bottle-green glass façade was achieved with the help of Kingwood Aluminium, which designed, manufactured and installed a bespoke façade system.
While the $15 million building is part Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, part Cat in the Hat, the building balances form and function in equal measure.
As visitors work their way through the building’s five levels, they undertake a sensory journey, with a wine inhalation room, a virtual fermenter, a 360-degree video room, and other tactile experiences complementing the panoramic views of terraces and treetops.
Initial support for the building included a $2 million state government regional development fund grant provided that 58 long-term jobs were created. The grant also supported more than 100 construction jobs.