Szent Ilona Winery

The winery was built as the first part of a major complex at the foot of Somló Hill in one of Hungary’s smallest, yet most popular wine regions. The large reinforced concrete halls of the winery are hidden from view from the main road by an artificial hill that mimics the topology of the volcanic terrain. In the back, the building opens towards the mountain and the vineyards. Rather than trying to fit in among the neighbouring houses, the complex blends in with the environment as an artificial part of the landscape. It evokes forms shaped by geological forces, with lava flow patterns in its ground plan and imaged of lava tubes in its interiors. Processing and laboratory work take place on the ground floor. Fermentation, storage and bottling are done in the cellars, which are lit by indirect natural light. Visitors can taste the wines in the cantilever “cellar house” that protrudes from the body of the artificial hill.