The first large-scale sake brewery on the East Coast, Asahi Shuzo’s Dassai Blue Brewery reimagines an abandoned grocery store into a sake sanctuary
Nestled near the banks of the Hudson River in Hyde Park, NY, a former national chain grocery store now stands transforms into a state-of-the-art sake brewery, the first large-scale brewery dedicated to sake production in the northeastern United States. Encompassing 55,000 square feet, the brewing facility houses dedicated spaces for rice washing, drying, steaming, and fermentation. Koji-making, bottling and shipping of the sake is also incorporated. Designed by Jun Mitsui & Associates in partnership with Pelli Clarke & Partners, the design harmonizes elements of traditional Japanese architecture, contemporary hospitality-style amenities and small-scale manufacturing to provide a unique visitor experience and a highly advanced brewing facility.
A fusion of tradition and contemporary Japanese architecture
The site comprises three distinct buildings: the brewery, the rice polishing facility, and its own wastewater treatment facility. The public facing tasting room invites visitors to take a tour, taste sake, and enjoy both indoor and outdoor spaces. Large windows offer views into production rooms, allowing visitors to observe the brewing process. The building's exterior seamlessly blends modern and traditional Japanese architectural elements, incorporating features such as a traditional indoor/outdoor Engawa, wooden detailing, and Yakisugi charred cedar cladding. The extensive landscaping of the site mediates between the lush, seasonal landscape of the Hudson Valley, and traditional Japanese garden elements such as private seating nooks and Cherry trees.
Streamlined production flow
Built within the shell of the preexisting former grocery store, the brewery seamlessly fits into the building’s footprint with production following a counterclockwise flow from two loading docks. Polished rice moves from the northeast facility building, progressing through production steps, culminating at the southeast corner for bottling and shipping, utilizing the pre-existing loading dock.
The Dassai Blue Brewery enjoys a close affiliation with the nearby Culinary Institute of America, also located in Hyde Park, where they share sake knowledge and culture with students, and assist in expanding academic course offerings in promotion of Japanese cuisine and culture.
Team:
Fred Clarke, FAIA, JIA, RIBA
Jun Mitsui, AIA, JIA
David Coon, AIA
Mark McDonnell, AIA
Masa Ninomiya, AIA
Ileana Dumitriu
Principal Collaborators:
Architects: Pelli Clarke & Partners, Jun Mitsui & Associates
MEP Engineering: Fitzmeyer & Tocci
Structural Engineering: Gibble Norden Champion Brown
Landscape Architecture: Reed-Hilderbrand
Civil Engineering: Chazen Labella
Client: Asahi Shuzo Brewery
