Miranda Winery / Popov Bass Architects

Architects: Popov Bass Architects
Location: Oxley, Australia
Project area: 300 sqm
Project year: 2010
Photographs: Kraig Carlstrom

Conceptual Framework

The Sam Miranda Wines cellar door represents the first of a two-stage project. The brief was for a modern facility that improves the winery’s viability by creating a landmark destination for tourists and gourmands to the region’s growing viticultural industry. This facility was to be constructed away from the existing busy wine-making operations (production and grape-crushing plant).

Public & Cultural Benefits

The project is sited to maximise its exposure from the passing traffic on the ‘Snow Road’ to Bright and cause minimal impact on the King River floodplain. The facility compliments the rural surroundings and vineyards and creates a place for the community to meet.

Relationship of Built-Form to Context

Sited behind earth berms, the bold tower stands as an icon on the King River flood plain. The tower provides light and ventilation into the ‘subterranean’ wine tasting area and invokes nostalgia of the old tobacco drying towers in the region. There will be three towers at the completion of the second stage. When considered as part of the total scheme, one is reminded of the tower forms of San Gimignano.

This is “Kelly Country” and the ribbon window that wraps around three sides of the tower is reminiscent of Nolan’s abstracted Ned Kelly.