Celebrations marked the opening of a new extension to the Bodegas Faustino Winery in Oyón, Rioja Alavesa. Commissioned by the fourth generation of the Martínez Zabala Family, Foster + Partners has designed a major extension and refurbished the existing facilities at the winery. In line with the practice’s unique vision and as one of Bodegas Faustino’s organizational pillars, sustainability is integral to the project with a new visitor center that has been designed as a ‘Planet 1.0’ building.
Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners said: “Our valued relationship with the Martínez Zabala Family stretches back to the last two decades, when we first worked together on their Bodegas Portia in 2010. The new project in Oyón knits together the entire site with discrete, sustainable interventions to the existing buildings and landscape, and an entirely new visitor center that provides a new social focus and image for the winery with an immersive experience for all.”
Bodegas Faustino is located in the heart of Spain’s principal wine making region where the family first started building their wine business. The design reinterprets the winery as a whole and creates a stronger connection between the existing cellars and the surrounding vineyard. The main entrance has been relocated to the north of the site to create a new visitor experience making the vineyard the first thing visitors encounter on their tour – a series of unique experiences in which wine, vineyard, nature, architecture, culture and sustainability blend together.
A gentle path leads to the new visitor center, the main protagonist of the project. It is designed as a vaulted and column-free hall to create a spacious and flexible volume. The vaulted roof is inspired by the industrial heritage of the winery, reinterpreted as a lightweight structure is made from timber arches. The anti-funicular profile enhances structural performance with minimal materials, while its earthy color palette allows the building to blend seamlessly with the landscape. An asymmetrical core connects with the mezzanine above, while creating two distinctive zones at the lower level, each with a different character. The upper level overlooks the entire visitor center and the beautiful vineyard landscape beyond.
The new visitor center is designated as a ‘Planet 1.0’ building – as its carbon emissions can easily be absorbed by the Earth’s green cover – making it a true sustainable exemplar. The building also adopts an Energy Plus strategy led by the photovoltaic panels on the roof that produce more energy than required for building operations. The excess energy is diverted to the existing winery buildings. The building features large overhangs on all four sides to reduce heat gain from the sun while blurring the boundaries between inside and outside.
A central skylight and carefully integrated glazed facades bring natural light into the interior spaces, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Natural building materials contribute to a biophilic environment and enhance wellbeing for visitors and employees. The new landscape features local species that enhance biodiversity and a discreet change in topography that is designed to protect the winery from the increasingly frequent heavy rainfall.
The new landscape also blends with the existing site’s existing facilities which, in conjunction with the relocation of the loading bays and control station during harvest, has significantly improved operational efficiency. In addition, underutilized structures have been removed to provide flexibility for future growth in line with client’s desire to incorporate new technologies into the winemaking process. Greenery has been added on to the facades of the existing buildings to provide natural protection from the summer sun, further reducing energy consumption across the site.
The project features the extensive use of timber in the structure, cladding and interior finishes. According to the architects, a total of 110 cubic meters of timber has been used for the structure and the estimated total absorption of C02 of this structural timber is 70 TCO2eq. A variety of wood species have been used to foster variety in industry: larch, oak, pine and cedar have all been integrated into the design. The architects aimed to create a biophilic environment with the intense use of wood, with direct views over the vineyard and surrounding landscaping including new garden.
The new visitor center is raised significantly over expected flood levels, exceeding code requirements, to provide additional protection. Landscape is designed to protect new and existing buildings from floods by naturally diverting water away from risk areas through topography. The earth excavated for basement has been re-used and integrated into landscape design. In addition, there has been a significant increase of vegetation and biodiversity with the addition of more than 100 trees and other plants of over 20 different species.
Overall, the project solidifies the future of this historic winery in which wine tourism is key and the building provides the required spaces for that purpose, also unlocking opportunities for future growth of the production facilities and incorporation of new wine making technology. Foster + Partners have delivered a quietly efficient and integrated design that reinforces the commitment of the fourth generation of Martínez Zabala Family to the future of Bodegas Faustino.
