Wine, architecture and the landscape: A regional winery In the Western Cape

Abstract

Architecture is constantly evolving and the identity of certain regions are at risk because of new architectural styles, processes and techniques. This is prominent in the Cape Winelands region, where the built heritage of Cape Dutch architecture is in constant battle with the new. Looking at relevant modern wineries in the region and analyzing their approaches to heritage, modernism and regionalism and by analyzing these wineries, a architectural language is developed to understand how to approach the design of a winery in the Cape Winelands region. This language is further enhanced by researching Critical Regionalism in architecture which is relevant when designing and taking into consideration the surroundings and the heritage of the region. By using the developed language the process of designing a winery is explored through various methods of exploration. The design exploration identifies what is relevant to the specific site and program and applies the architectural language where it is relevant. This results in the design of a new winery in the Cape Winelands which relates to the heritage and the region in a sensitive way.