Chateau Margaux

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Bordeaux estate of Château Margaux is one of the world’s leading wine producers. The Nouveau Chai (new winery) is the first new building on the site for 200 years. The design reflects local farm buildings but uses a completely integrated approach to architecture and engineering - the efficient steel diagrid structure and innovative tree-shaped perimeter columns provide a highly flexible space to accommodate the wine-making process. The entire roof was preassembled in four pieces in the Czech Republic, before being transported by lorry to France. The building is also designed to withstand flooding from the Garonne River.

Judge's comment:

This project impressed the judges on a number of issues – the elegance of the steel diagrid roof structure which enabled long spans to be achieved with minimum visual impact; the clever detailing of the perimeter tree columns which gives a natural feel to complex geometrical forms; the structural combination of steel and timber in an efficient and aesthetically pleasing manner; and the overall sensitivity to the environment, both locally (aesthetic) and globally (sustainability).