following the 2015 completion of a winery for château margaux, foster + partners has unveiled plans for its second winery in bordeaux. nestled in the region?s rolling hills, the new ?le do?me? winery in saint-e?milion aims to blend seamlessly with the surrounding UNESCO world heritage cultural landscape. visitors approach the winery along a tree-lined avenue, at the end of which is a circular-plan building. according to the architects, the form of the building is rooted in a desire to create a structure that simultaneously looks both inwards and outwards, providing an efficient space for wine production, while engaging in dialogue with the surrounding landscape.

all images © foster + partners
 
 
a combination of two ramps ? one external to emphasize the relationship with the site and the other internal, allowing the visitor to walk through the different stages of the wine process ? gives the building its spatial definition. both ramps lead up to a gallery on the upper level which features tasting tables, a wine bar, and entertainment spaces ? all wrapped by 360-degree views of the adjoining vineyards. a circular atrium allows people to look down onto the wine production and storage spaces below.
 
 
?the views and the landscape have always been the primary protagonists of the design,? says norman foster, founder and executive chairman, foster + partners. ?the process of winemaking is taken to the heart of the building and the upper level provides a flexible area f...