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The Dispensary’s design went through several conceptual studies and iterations. From its initial hand-sketches, a key visual principle was having the machine merge seamlessly with the architectural space. The machine is a fully automated and permanent installation that serves patrons with no supervision. Dropping a custom-designed coin into the slot triggers its operation.
The user functionality is intuitive and there are no superfluous details. A coin triggers a custom-green lighting inside the dispense area. Once a glass us placed under the desired drink, a single button is pressed. The glass is placed onto a 3D printed stand that also functions as a drip tray (that deals with any spillage).
The launch marks the dawning of a mystical new era in Glasgow’s growing cocktail scene, with The Alchemist unleashing its unique ‘theatre served’ experience and molecular mixology on Scotland’s biggest city. The lighting design and colour palette for the machine developed alongside the site’s interiors. All lighting is diffused, elevating the machine’s presence through custom-detailing and reflective surfaces. The panel mounted cladding are hand-finished, while being cut and installed in accord with the inner workings of the machine. This, along with its user simplicity makes the design both people and function led.
The machine’s materials extend the studio’s ethos sourcing closed loop and environmentally sensitive materials. Our structural frame is aluminum which is part of a fully circular recycle loop and made from recycled metal. The cladding panels is PaperStone, made from recycled paper and natural resin. Custom brass elements are turned and installed, while the dispense are makes us of black corian.
This machine features a token operation, it is the first machine to use RS232 commands to control the lighting and giving thousands of lighting possibilities, And it is the first machine to be operated un-supervised by the general public.
Above the serve area of the dispensary, there is a moving installation that creates a narrative using the whisky. It features a set of custom laboratory glass vessels, some of which are filled with whisky. Whisky moves around the vessels, before dispensing it
down a glass spiral within a Graham Condenser that is filled with bubbles. The dispense and whisky theatre are in sync in the machine’s programming, appearing to distil straight into the glass.
The glassware is housed within a hall of mirrors that provide an infinity space. There is an open window for the patrons to view the authentic experimentation and consider the process from multiple angles and myriad views – coined, the whisky theatre.
The launch of The Dispensary marks the dawning of a mystical new era in Glasgow’s growing cocktail scene, with The Alchemist unleashing its unique ‘theatre served’ experience and molecular mixology on Scotland’s biggest city.
Rogue projects is an experimental design studio with a relentless commitment to eco-driven, people-centric design. Through process and imagination, our projects shift in scale from objects to architecture – weaving together art and science into designs that infuse daily life and champion environmental awareness.
As a multidisciplinary collective with experimentation at its core, we bring unconstrained curiosity to every project. With expertise spanning architecture, art, and engineering, we transcend conventional boundaries. Our scientific inquiry empowers us to unlock hidden potential within materials, contemplate design principles, and predict perceptible behaviours. Leaving no detail unconsidered, we create, execute, and produce the seemingly impossible.
