The approach to design was to understand and capture what makes Seppeltsfield Wines and the wider Barossa region such a unique part of South Australia. The team at Intro committed themselves to create a contemporary, generational piece of architecture which will catalyse conversations for decades that come. The building has been sculpted so it appears as if it emerges from the land. The design remains cognisant of its rural context so that when viewed from a distance, its upper contracting silhouette is not dissimilar to a silo, water tower, or wine tank.
The design philosophy was borne from the art of barrel-making, particularly the process of the curvature and manipulation of the stave. This is where the conceptual framework of the deconstructed wine barrel is expressed – through contrasting materials and transparencies throughout the series of contorted staves arising from the vineyard. The proposed design uses a two-fold approach to ground the building in its place. The building responds to its rural setting by incorporating two distinct design elements of contrasting materiality. The first is the base of the building which features stone and other locally sourced materials typical of the locality. The second and upper element complements the landscape with its sweeping yet restrained form and aesthetic.
