V33 is an organic small-scale winery anchored in the high mountains of the Bekaa. It found its new urban home in Gemmayze, a bustling street in the heart of Beirut. The initial intention is to create a secluded wine room where the process of organic and small-scale wine making comes to life in an active urban setting.
It was important for the client to be able to allow for different scenarios to happen: A selling point in the city, A street interface for passersby to come in and experience the V33 palate, Exclusive wine tasting events, and Communication about the winemakers' peculiar way of confecting wine.
The outcome is a ludic sequence_ within a small space _ that allows for different configurations. Clients first enter the space through a low ceiling industrial stainless steel kitchen setting the tone for an atypical and transparent process as if the winemaker is inviting us into his most familiar setup.
Next space is the street interface, the most visible area. With only two high tables and limited seating number, the intention is to signal the presence of a new spot; an interactive facade that dialogues with the street. The ceiling and walls are cladded with spongy pyramidal acoustic panels, giving texture and insulating the space. Within this zone, explanatory diagrams on the sidewall relate the particularity of the geographic location of V33's agricultural lands.
A big object separates the public area from the more private setup. It consists of a movable bar, a display unit, a control platform (payments, music, distribution, etc) and an anchored signal.The bar can either be closed and act as a physical and visual boundary between both areas, or open up to allow for the space to become one vast room when hosting events.
The last part, the most secluded area, consists of a single big gathering table to allow for information to be shared or for limited wine tasting events. It is flanked by an elevated wine cellar that is also visible from the street, the only indication that this place is actually a wine tasting room.
The outcome is an honest approach, where function dictates a versatile, playful and identifiable spot far from the superfluous add-ons that wine-tasting experiences could often entail.
