New Winery URS HAUSER | Wespi de Meuron Romeo

Initial Situation

Centrally located within the commercial zone of the village of Contone, a three-storey winery is to be constructed. The site is situated directly along the main road, positioned in front of an existing commercial building that houses a restaurant and a flower shop. The new facility will accommodate production, technical, and storage areas, as well as an oak barrel cellar that doubles as a tasting room. 

Concept

The design aims to integrate the new winery into a cohesive spatial whole with the existing commercial building. Concurrently, the winery is intended to project a distinct identity and a strong presence characterized by understated, sculptural simplicity, without encroaching on the neighbouring structure.

The new building volume is organized across three above-ground storeys, featuring a footprint of approximately 13.20 x 16.00 metres and a building height of 13.20 metres.

To unify the existing commercial building and the new winery into a harmonized spatial ensemble, the shared outdoor areas were redesigned. A large square between the existing restaurant and the new winery was paved with natural stone - a material deeply rooted in the local building culture - thereby defining the space. Similar natural stone paving was applied to other outdoor sections, whereas the reorganized parking areas were designed with permeable, green surfaces. Asphalted traffic zones were reduced to a minimum.

A larger, continuous open space between the winery and the road was landscaped as a biodiverse, ecological, and climate-resilient meadow featuring native flora.

A key element of the outdoor space is a grove of 12 newly planted cork oaks. These trees provide natural shade for both the outdoor restauration area and the parking spaces, while imbuing the site with its own unique identity. 

Construction and Materials

The new winery was constructed using cast-in-place concrete, finished with exterior thermal insulation and clad in Corten steel sheets.

Irregular, laser-perforated patterns in the steel panels - positioned in front of the glazing behind them - ensure the necessary minimum daylight intake and ventilation for the workspaces. At the same time, this perforation generates a distinctive, atmospheric lighting quality within the oak barrel cellar.

The irregularly and only partially perforated Corten steel facade effectively conceals the internal floor structure. As a result, the building volume manifests as a mysterious, abstract, and serene cube.

Collaborators: Engineer: PIANIFICA SA, 6600 Locarno
Building physics: AFRY Svizzera SA, 6500 Bellinzona

Firms: Master builder: Ennio Ferrari SA, 6527 Lodrino
Facade builder (Corten): Maturi & Sampietro SA, 6805 Mezzovico
Windows: Officine Cameroni SA, 6917 Barbengo-Lugano
Sanitary: Botta & Co. SA, 6616 Losone
Electrician: Elettro Hauser SA, 6594 Contone
Lift: Ascensori Falconi SA, 6830 Chiasso
Roofer: Torsetta SA, 6596 Gordola
Interior coverings: Marti Bauunternehmung AG, 6002 Luzern
Interior doors: Zehnder AG, 6410 Goldau
Entrance door: Door System SA, 6528 Camorino
Outside coverings: SAISA SA, 6703 Osogna

Pictures/Video: Giacomo Albo architect/photographer