Giant Rubik’s Cube at home amongst vines
Confused about why this Rubik’s Cube-shaped building is being built smack bang in the middle of a winery?
That’s the idea, according to d’Arenberg chief winemaker Chester Osborne, who says the bizarre concept for an all-encompassing winery attraction was born out of the ever-present challenge of creating and refining his wine flavours.
Osborne’s soon-to-be-completed d’Arenberg Cube features five levels of wine-loving bliss in South Australia’s famed McLaren Vale wine region, with a tasting room, numerous bars, a restaurant, private tasting rooms, office accommodation and other facilities all housed within the unique structure.
“The idea to build the d’Arenberg Cube came to me over 10 years ago and I’ve been refining the plans ever since,” Osborne says.
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“I’ve always considered winemaking to be a puzzle that needs to be put together, a complex combination of geographical elements like soil and geology, viticulture, blending and balance.
“This building is yet another puzzle to solve. The external patterns join together for a seamless solution and, ideally, all elements of wine should do the same. The names of our wines are also a puzzle to work out.”
The latest in a series of time lapse pictures of the d’Arenberg Cube. Picture: d’Arenberg
Designed by Nic Salvati at ADS Architects, the d’Arenberg Cube overlooks the site’s existing 19th century homestead, as well as the surrounding vines and the Willunga hills.
As part of the design, the top two floors are placed askew, another ‘fallen’ block is situated in the nearby car park and the building features what d’Arenberg is describing as a “folding origami entrance.
Osborne says in many cases it’s no longer enough to simply operate a winery in the traditional way.
“We have one of the busiest cellar doors in McLaren Vale, which often reaches maximum capacity so people aren’t given the ideal experience when they visit,” he says.
“Research by wine and tourism industries agree on the need for more tourist drawcards, providing interesting experiences for visitors, and this is our response.”
