During the Christmas break, I visited the Bombay Sapphire Distillery as part of my research into distilling and how architecture can enhance the overall experience. It was interesting to explore the role that architecture had within the Distillery. The Distillery itself is placed in Laverstoke Mill, which until 2011, was used to produce paper used in bank notes. This gave the site a rich cultural and historical presence within the town dating back to as early as 1086 and was recorded in the doomsday book.
During the tour, it was explained how Bombay Saphire had purchased the Grade II listed buildings to renovate the mill to be used as their distillery and visitors centre. When exploring the site in relation to my project, I was struck with how Heatherwick Studios has been able to add such modern and innovative architecture onto a listed and culturally significant site. The greenhouses almost became an extension of the historical building and created a bridge between the site’s history and its future. The use of glass and metal frame structures allowed the greenhouses to sit effortlessly within the landscape, creating a seamless effect on the site. These glasshouses stand out, yet they seem to look like they have always been there. The glasshouse also explores nature’s role in distilling the organic shape, becoming a key focus in the glasshouse’s design. These spaces housed some of the botanicals used within the distilling process and allowed the visitors to understand better what is included in Gin. The glasshouse also creates interesting, unique spaces for tours to gather, creating intimacy and serenity in the otherwise busy and populated Distillery.
What was also key to the Distillery’s design was how the architecture encouraged many people to attend the tours. When speaking to others in the group, it was clear that many people had come to admire the glasshouse and explore their construction rather than the Gin. This was interesting to me, particularly when thinking about my Distillery and how to harness extra income for the community and encourage interaction and exploration by those who don’t drink.
Overall the tour was extremely interesting and allowed me to consider how elements could be built into my overall design. It also helped me to consider architecture has a role within a distillery; if you get it right, visitors are encouraged to keep coming back!
