Jury citation
A set of wide, processional stairs leads to a monolithic building on top of a ridge at Delatite, a winery in the foothills of the Victorian Alps. But the Delatite Cellar Door has a kind of architectural alchemy. The building feels grand until you get close, when it becomes something more human-scaled and welcoming. Although it feels substantial, its footprint is relatively small. And although made from modest materials, it feels precious. Altogether, it forms something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Restrained, understated and sophisticated (in all the right ways), the building’s well-proportioned modernist forms, made from timber and eco-brick, frame views of the organic vineyard and Mount Buller beyond. Walls extend beyond the building to frame gravel courtyards and lawn platforms, connecting the winery to its farmland setting and the existing farm buildings.
The palette of materials and refinement of details is more akin to a residential than a commercial building. Pivoting around a long bar made from concrete, steel and tiles is a collection of bright restaurant and bar spaces. The wine display, created from angled concrete blocks and plate steel, anchors this space. A fireplace, intimate lighting and timber furniture further help to create an environment where one wants to linger, to eat and, of course, to drink wine. It’s the perfect union of place, product, architecture and owners.
Delatite Cellar Door is located in Mansfield, Victoria on Taungurung Country.
Project credits
Architect: Lucy Clemenger Architects; Project team: Lucy Clemenger, Tilde Sheppard, Aykiz Gokmen, Lily Nie; Builder: Easton; Structural engineer: The O’Neill Group; Building surveyor: Alpine Building Permits; Quantity surveyor: DBQS; Energy assessor: Enrate.
