The landscape of the Veneto region, where the Cantina ValpolicellaNegrar is located, is by nature an hybrid; a place where the boundaries between town and country are extremely fluid and controversial but highly rich in creative opportunities.
The challenge that the rethinking of the WCC Negrar proposes, is the Re-establishment of a new relationship with this delicate Italian landscape. The project addresses this issue by combining the two approaches, during the concept processus, which are dissimilar but at the same time complementary.
The first is related to the monumentality of the existing building, which needs to be preserved since it is an existing brand of identity for the winery and its environment.
Through the use of a double metal skin that wraps the existing building, the “old structure” stands as a megalith on a predominantly flat landscape, enriching the skyline.
The second one that characterizes this project is linking the new building to the landscape; namely a new structure that will bind to the landscape, minutely and delicately, with a low rise profile, in line with the heights of the landscape, more than an architectural element it will become a new piece of this landscape.
The new building, with its monolithic profile and the use of warm materials (such as wood and plant matter), embodies the spirit of the place and integrates it, physically and visually.
To give strength to this concept, three courtyards will dig into the monolith: they are the key ele¬ment of the project, and each one is specified by landscape features related to grapes and wine (the Amarone Court, for example, will be used primarily as external show case for the Amarone grapes) in order to create a different atmosphere in each courtyard.
The courtyards will offer many possibilities such as outdoor activities, wine tasting, art events: they represent an insignia which speaks of the flexibility of these spaces, designed not only for workers or consumers, but for everyone.
