Ar.Sunil Patil

Wine making has been around for thousands of years. Nature provides everything that is needed to make wine, it is up to humans to embellish and improve it. Thus our Client who is from Italy and his counterpart in India wanted to have wine making unit at Akluj, Solapur so that they could produce one of the finest wines. Five basic steps are involved in making wine: harvesting, crushing, fermentation, clarification, and aging and bottling. The unit has all; the client already had a huge vineyard spread in the premises.

The brief was to have a plant with tank hall with a capacity of 9 lakh liters, processing units, bottling plant, cellar for storing the wines and admin block with wine testing lab. Crushing, fermentation and filtration units have been created in the plant and adjacent to it, is the admin block. Buffer space has been given between the two buildings The finished product is provisioned to be racked into different vessel, where it is ready for bottling or further aging.

The cellar has been designed underground the plant to serve this purpose. A manual opening has been given which leads to cellar. The journey begins at the main gate, from where this elegant and graceful piece of architecture is seen leading towards the parking, which can accommodate many visitors. A huge foyer is designed from where the steps of the admin block start. Admin block is designed next to the processing/manufacturing unit at the ground floor with wine testing and accounts department and a wine tasting lounge for guests. Site undulations were there, the soil removed from the cellar creates a perfect base for a huge mount scape.The admin block sits on it. Beautiful landscaping has been done around it.

Spiral staircase takes you to the first floor. On upper floor of the admin block, a lounge is designed with an idea that the guests should get a spectacular view of the vineyards and enjoy the sunset. From here, one can visualize and experience the whole wine making process. On one side are the vineyards and on the other, the plant is seen through the clear glass, the whole wine making process runs through a spectators mind. Complicated structural elements are avoided. Wine containers and chilling jackets are imported from Italy. For the processing unit/plant, glazing has been given from the north and is blocked from all other sides to maintain a minimum temperature which is needed for the wine making process. Simple visitors rooms with attached bathrooms are created with color themes like red yellow blue, and green all of which open into the lawns.

Old styled furniture was brought in from a store called Living so that it goes with the theme- wine making- a classic age old process. Pantry and dinning adjoins the lounge. Contemporary interiors add up to the design of the building.