MONASTEREVIN DISTILLERY - Planning Granted for Landmark Distillery and Visitor Centre in County Kildare
The design concept for this site is not solely architectural but all- encompassing. Approached as a synthesis of the arts, the intention is to deliver a scheme which is of the highest international standard of contemporary design. The site, architecture, process, product and ultimately visitor experience are considered in tandem to deliver a ‘total design’.
Central to the concept is the juxtaposition of striking modern design alongside rich historical architecture. This reflects an innovative modern brand, informed by a history of tradition in the Irish Whiskey industry.
The existing building shells are in good condition, however, they require new roof structures. An intervention which replaces these structures makes sense for a number of reasons. This proves to be the perfect opportunity to rise above the historical features of this site, giving the visitor an extremely rare opportunity to observe the process of distillation from above.
By floating accomodation for gallery spaces, exhibition halls and observation decks overhead, changes to the existing footprint of the complex are minimal, preserving its character and appearance but also clearly differentiating old and new.
The site is deeply routed in the whiskey industry, and this will be reflected throughout the project. Historical references to grain on the site informed the decision to guide visitors through fields of barley and long grasses. Users witness the storage of this grain in silos over the reception, before beginning a raised linear tour through the process of distillation. Along this tour visitors will find themselves observing, past shafts of vertical skylight from the pyramidal forms, the most innovative of distillery processes.
