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A bronze monolith, between the vineyards of the Isarco Valley, characterizes the project to expand this ancient cellar.
Bergmeisterwolf Architekten – Emergere, new cellar Pacherhof – 2018 – Photo: Gustav Willeit
Could you talk about this project?
This project is situated in the Isarco Valley near the Novacella Abbey built in the 12th century. Here the monks used to produce wine from the harvest of nearby fields. Later many farms started their own wine businesses. Pacherhof was not only the first, but some documents show their cellar was in operation before the construction of the monastery. For this reason, Pacherhof is today classified as a highly valued architectural and cultural asset. From the historic cellar, descending a staircase and traversing a tunnel, you reach the new trapezoidal-shaped cellar below the existing land. In the highest corner of the lot a pyramidal tower emerges, covered in bronze panels that become part of the landscape in contrast with the mountain peaks. The tower houses an office and a tasting room on the upper floor. From here the wine grower can enjoy a view that embraces the vineyards, the ancient farm and the surrounding landscape. On the first floor the bunches of grapes are harvested which are then transported to the basement through an opening in the floor. The actual production takes place in the basement.
Bergmeisterwolf Architekten – Emergere, new cellar Pacherhof – 2018 – Photo: Gustav Willeit
The openings of the tower have no frame or shading, but are flush with the bronze panels, whilst the glass is treated, displaying a bronzed effect. The goal is to create a pure, solid, geometric monolithic volume. The entrance to the cellar is marked by a concrete wall that has two functions: on one side it serves to direct the visitor towards the parking lot, on the other it accompanies the ramp that leads to the new cellar. The choice of materials reinforces the contrast between the old and the new cellar: on the one hand there is a rough plaster and metal extension, on the other the smooth plaster and the wood of the old cellar. Elements such as oak barrels and steel tanks, ancient vaults and new forms of expansion, the greyed plaster of the existing cellar and the raw state of the new one establishes a relationship capable of highlighting the historical, cultural and sensorial value of the intervention.
