2016 National Architecture Awards: Commercial Architecture Commendation

Jury citation

A bold and playful marker for a vineyard and tasting room on Tasmania’s spectacular east coast, the project provides a striking visual signifier for the site. Using an economy of means through an inventive repurposing of shipping containers, this new intervention in the landscape is both a sign and lookout for a commercial venture. Manipulating the visitor’s circulation through and onto the site, the structure defines and frames particular views of the landscape that encourage contemplation and consideration of the site in a different way. The containers have been compositionally stacked to belie their original form and intent, resulting in a building that becomes an inhabitable sculpture. The building determines an experience for the visitor, beginning at the front door, shaping and establishing an impression before the wine-tasting begins. Detailing is raw but rigorous and appropriate to the industrial roots of the containers. The structure is a playful folly that provides a successful and memorable identity for Devil’s Corner and its cellar door.