Heritage Site

The visitor centre was based on a traditional distillery building.
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The structure includes large cantilevering roofs on all sides, which provide shade for the offices in the summer. Dramatic V-shaped columns were also a practical choice for a building that is set on soft foundations on the edge of seismic zone. A drop-off under the first floor leads into the reception and atrium, which connects all three levels of the building. A void culminates in a skylight supported by stainless steel trusses.

The ground floor of the office building is fitted with a lounge bar, for entertaining customers in more relaxed surroundings. The first floor is home to a lecture theatre, while executive offices are located on the second floor.

“The office building is probably the most striking element because it is the biggest building. It has delivered on all the promises of sophisticated restraint and, by all accounts, is working well for the occupants,” Billson said.

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Visitor-friendly

A sense of place is even more evident in the visitor centre, which draws on the traditional design of local distillery buildings. “The visitor centre was based on a vernacular distillery building and we visited several in the surrounding countryside to understand the design of these buildings,” Billson explained.

“They are long rectangular buildings with an odd number of bays. Entry is in the centre to minimise travel distance to all parts of the floor. The roof is pitched with a clear storey to let the steam out during mashing and mixing of the yeast to the mash. The upper roof is also pitched and the roof material is traditional grey-clay, half-round Chinese tiles. We used all these elements in the design of the visitor centre.”

MAP introduced a tasting room on the first floor of the centre, as well as a terrace that extends out towards Distillery 4. An observation gallery was also introduced, to allow visitors to see directly into the distillery. “This is so that visitors can go into a real production distillery and safely observe, smell and hear the production process, which is fascinating,” said Billson.

The third major element of the project was the boiler house, which, if the local design institute had had its way, would have been little more than a concrete box. Instead, MAP proposed an elaborate structure that once again included a strong local design language.

“The boiler house was rescued from the local design institute and redesigned in Han style, with traditional tile roof timber barge boards and ornamented trusses under the eves. A massive sky light had to be incorporated to satisfy local regulations. The final result is a building that looks like it should be an art gallery,” Billson explained.

The Han Sichuan style was reiterated in the VIP guest house, which is composed of three residential garden villas able to accommodate visiting wholesale clients. Two of the villas offer a single bedroom, while the third, the presidential villa, incorporates two bedrooms, a living room and a dining room, all set around a central courtyard. “The VIP guest house was again designed in Han Sichuan style, with water running through and little waterfalls at the bridges to each of the three villas.”

Key to the success of this – and any project in China – is ensuring that you have the support of the local authorities which, in this case, MAP did, Billson explained. “The key challenge with any project in China is the Local Design Institute and getting them on board, to help rather than hinder,” he warned.

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