Chateau Lynch-Bages New Winery Facility by PEI Architects

Chateau Lynch-Bages located in Pauillac, in the Bordeaux region of France; with origins dating back to 1749. The winery’s old vat-house represents a rare example of the gravity flow winemaking design now used in modern vat-houses invented by Pierre Skawinski in 1850. Chateau Lynch-Bages has been under the Cazes family’s ownership since 1938.

The winery was recently redesigned as a new and dramatic 150,700 ft² estate at the Chateau’s historical location.

The complex consists of three interconnected volumes: a large glass enclosure of the vat room that is flooded by natural light from an industrial-inspired saw tooth roof, a stone cladded rectangular volume, and an all-glass volume for the office wing. Additionally, there is a below grade barrel cellar that matches the footprint of the vat room.

The multi-use building now houses the vinification operations, the wine barrel cellar, the office space and the reception and tasting area. It is embedded in an ensemble of existing buildings that form a picturesque French winemaker village.

The vinification operation areas are naturally ventilated and lighted; only the wine barrel cellar, the white making room, and the FML room are strictly temperature controlled.
The winery harvest reception and the main dock accommodates the equipment for three grape reception lines during harvest and the equipment used during the bottling of wine. A large translucent door, with its sliding mechanism, opens up to the full length of the dock and when closed allows for natural light to fill the space.

The barrel cellar is located below ground level. The hygrometry and temperature-controlled systems are located in the ceiling hidden by a stainless-steel mesh vault.
The new complex unites formerly separate processes of wine making under one roof. That calls for harmonization of different requirements with regards to functionality and design. This modern approach, formerly unheard of in the traditional wine making area of Bordeaux surely created huge challenges for the design and architectural teams.

This open approach brings the wine-loving clientele much closer to the product, creating an immersive brand experience. By working with transparency, light, and open space, patrons can see the wine cellar and the related operations.

The office wing includes a glass and metal volume in the north end of the building. A large wire metal screen is at the west facade to control the sunlight and provide privacy for the offices. The two-story building’s open office layout and the private offices have open views to the surroundings. The two office floors are connected by a circular glass enclosure that houses a circular grand staircase; both office levels have direct access to winery facility levels.

The top floor of the office wing has a full-floor roof top terrace and a terrace on the second level has open views to the surrounding vineyards and the town of Pauillac.

The complex’s horizontal circulation is completely open. There are multiple staircases throughout the building: stairs in the east and west sides of the vat room; two staircases inside the elevator-mounted core for the tanks, and two monumental glass enclosures with circular staircases at the north and south ends of the complex.

The design of the complex also includes green areas and parking. The program called for maintaining the main entrance of the winery to the north, designed with an organized garden where a London Plane tree was preserved. Additional land was acquired to the south creating the opportunity to equally provide a designed open space with a row of trees and open views. The outdoor production activities of the winery are located to the west of the complex with parking arranged within organized green areas.

The landscape was designed in relation to the buildings. It is therefore on this basis that the relationship between the building and the garden is formed. Strong structures, formed of plant tables, made up of evergreen plants (holm oak and yew), organize the space and allow for the integration of the different elements of the garden into a coherent overall composition. This design both highlights the entrance and the circulation that serve the buildings but, also brings landscape quality to technical spaces and parking areas.

The evergreen composition, incorporating existing trees into its design, includes floral accents that will serve as seasonal markers through beds of hydrangeas and roses.
These spaces can be divided into three parts, firstly, the forecourt in front of the main entrance of the building to the North; the parking lots on the side of Rue des Vignerons to the West; and the development of rue de la Croix de Bages.

The main idea of ​​the landscape design was to give coherence to the entire site, while allowing space to be clearly distinguished by their design and their use.

• Project typology:

New Winery Facility Building and Exterior Surrounding Areas

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:

Exterior Areas Planning, Preservation & Preliminary Design:

PEI Architects LLP
257 Park Avenue South
New York NY 10010-7304

Landscape Design Implementation:

Neveux Rouyer Paysagistes DPLG
27 Avenue de Paris 78000 VERSAILLES

• All architecture offices involved in the design:

Lead Architect:

PEI Architects LLP
257 Park Avenue South
New York NY 10010-7304

Associate Architect:

BPM Architectes
26 Rue Peyronnet,
33800 Bordeaux, France

• Other credits you need or wish to write:

Client:
Chateau Lynch-Bages
33250 Pauillac, France

Lighting Consultant:

George Sexton Associates
2121 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007