herzog and de meuron

dominus winery
yountville, ca
1997
relationship to location

The Dominus Estate is located east of San Francisco in

Yountville, California which is part of the Napa region,
renowned for its wine industry. The winery is situated along a
north-south axis and crosses the main access road through
the vineyard perpendicularly, making it the central hub of the
estate with ample views in all directions. The simple
rectangular form is designed to disappear into the
landscape and not to compete with the local natural
beauty.
background and significance

This project, the first American project from Herzog and de Meuron, is a beautiful interpretation
of blending nature and architecture to create this unique piece of art. By reinventing a current
technology, the gabion (most commonly used for retaining structures along highways and riv-
ers), becomes the exterior wall cladding. The rocks used to fill the metal wire baskets are a local
basalt further connecting the building to its landscape. The gabion structure is highly functional
as well, regulating heat and light into appropriate areas of the building according to use. The
economical efficiency created by construction methods and materials put this building at the
forefront of experimental techniques and approaches to design.
plan floor 2

plan floor 1
context of contemporary fabrication and design

Herzog and de Meuron have melded together standard

economical techniques with unique, environmentally
conscience methods to create a one of a kind piece of
artwork that belongs in its landscape and works
functionally as a workplace.
materials

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methods of construction

The winery is constructed with a conventional economic warehouse formation. The overall
concrete structure leads to a steel frame structure on the upper floor where the office area is
located which combined becomes the backbone for the protective exterior cladding of stone
contained within metal wire baskets, gabions. A combination of varying wire sizes and wire
mesh are assembled and then local basalt is crushed into three sizes and filled into the baskets.
The largest stones are located at the office level, medium stones are located on the mezzanine
level and smallest stones are located on the cellar level.
The Dominus Winery constructs a rusticated affect through
an exterior gabian wall of wire mesh cages filled with
smaller stones at the bottom and larger stones at the top,
creating a complex visual pattern of stones and crevices.
The varying size of the stones and the rock-like appear-
ance of the wall play on traditional rustication in a wall
that is in fact highly crafted and constructed.

office level

mezzanine level

cellar level
materials + technique=
specific effects

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