St Hugo Wine Cellar by Studio-Gram with JBG Architects.

St Hugo’s design brief to Studio-Gram called for the ultimate high-end wine experience in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. A holistic approach from the architecture and the interiors, translated through to the wine experiences such as private and structured tastings, food-wine matching, wine education and gastronomy.

There is an overall inviting warmth to the tones and materiality of the building as designed by JBG Architects, and it was very important from the outset that the interior elements were complimentary to the architecture, that these elements were used to enhance and separate the experiences, whilst creating memories that are entrenched in the St Hugo brand.”It was vital to understand the different experiences that St Hugo wanted to create at their brand home. These experiences were then organised spatially, and matched to the moods that we identified for each of these spaces,” explains Studio-Gram.

The outcome is a totally new experience in the South Australian wine industry. The outdoor courtyard is host to 200 year-old stone walls, and long tables made of reclaimed ironbark, that over time will become overgrown by vines. From the courtyard the users move into the cellar anti space that houses a mobile tasting bar for events.

The cellar is also host to the most unique space on the site – the bottle room – where arguably the largest solid timber table sits, amongst some exquisitely detailed joinery that house St Hugo’s private collection. This room is reserved for those that are part of an exclusive club, also featuring a barrel vault, where those users can barrel their own wine amongst the old stone walls.

Upstairs is host to the tasting room and the dining room, with altogether differing experiences. The dining room has a refined joinery palette of brass, blackbutt and pietra grigia marble. The materials are striped of any ornamentation, and used to enhance the mood that is set by the black cathedral ceiling, the original stone walls, and the dimly lit space. The tasting room is flooded with natural light, where the same material palette is read in an altogether different manner. Users are drawn to the panoramic views of the local landscape, and their senses are driven by the smells and taste of the wine.

The design is underpinned by a robust material palette, simple yet refined, much like the wine making process. The materials are pushed to their limits to create bars, seating elements, storage and signage amongst other things. The craft celebrated throughout the interiors is one that matches the quality outcomes of St Hugo’s product.

Related post: Interview // Adelaide Architectural Workshop Studio Gram.

[Images courtesy of Studio-Gram. Photography by David Sievers.]