japanese architect shigeru ban has been commissioned to design a 420-acre site dedicated to the production of whiskey. ban and his firm will transform a disused quarry into ?kentucky owl park?, a destination that will include rickhouses for aging, a bottling center, and a state-of-the-art distillery. there are also plans for a vintage train to stop on the property, connecting the site to other distilleries along kentucky?s bourbon trail.

video and stills courtesy of stoli group / shigeru ban architects / virgin lemon
 
 
the project was unveiled by stoli group, the division of SPI group responsible for the management, distribution, and marketing of kentucky owl bourbon. the complex will host a collection of buildings, carefully sited within the natural landscape, that boast an industrial vernacular design aesthetic. shigeru ban?s vision for the project hearkens back to the 19th century with long-span steel structures that have been reinterpreted with the use of mass timber.
long-span steel structures have been reinterpreted with the use of mass timber
 
 
each building will have a distinct structural form that incorporates visual elements of the local bourbon-making process. perhaps the focal point of the scheme will be a trio of pyramidal buildings, which sit at the center of the site. meanwhile, the quarry pits will be turned into lakes with crystal-clear, limestone-filtered water.

the buildings boast an industrial vernacular design aesthetic
 
 
?we are honored...