Wespi De Meuron Romeo

WDMRA – Wespi De Meuron Romeo architetti . photos: © Giacomo Albo

Centrally located within the commercial zone of the village of Contone, a three-storey winery is to be constructed. The site is situated directly along the main road, positioned in front of an existing commercial building that houses a restaurant and a flower shop. The new facility will accommodate production, technical, and storage areas, as well as an oak barrel cellar that doubles as a tasting room.

The design aims to integrate the new winery into a cohesive spatial whole with the existing commercial building. Concurrently, the winery is intended to project a distinct identity and a strong presence characterized by understated, sculptural simplicity, without encroaching on the neighbouring structure.

The new building volume is organized across three above-ground storeys, featuring a footprint of approximately 13.20 x 16.00 metres and a building height of 13.20 metres.

To unify the existing commercial building and the new winery into a harmonized spatial ensemble, the shared outdoor areas were redesigned. A large square between the existing restaurant and the new winery was paved with natural stone – a material deeply rooted in the local building culture – thereby defining the space. Similar natural stone paving was applied to other outdoor sections, whereas the reorganized parking areas were designed with permeable, green surfaces. Asphalted traffic zones were reduced to a minimum.

A larger, continuous open space between the winery and the road was landscaped as a biodiverse, ecological, and climate-resilient meadow featuring native flora.

A key element of the outdoor space is a grove of 12 newly planted cork oaks. These trees provide natural shade for both the outdoor restauration area and the parking spaces, while imbuing the site with its own unique identity.