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The project was born with the idea to create an architecture that fits within the surrounding landscape, in continuity with the characterizing elements of the area, preserving and conserving the natural and cultural characters of the place. The concept starts from the need to combine functional requirements with natural relevance and typical archetypes of the region, such the "dry stone walls" and "hypogea elements". The project, built on a natural slope immersed in a valley between mountains, fits within a "fracture" with a large drop in elevation, bridging this element of separation and uniting the parts of the lot of land. Upstream the project disappears and fits in continuity with the landscape, while downstream it opens to the landscape and the valley.
The territory of north Sardinia, called Gallura, is characterized by mountainous environments in which the green of the Mediterranean scrub and the materiality of granite meet the traditional cultivation of Vermentino, a typical and native wine of the area from which it’s nominated (Vermentino di Gallura). The Cumita Sanna Winery is inserted in a site that is conformed by a valley with a steep slope where areas planted with vineyards and Mediterranean scrub are in close contact. To fit within this particular landscape there was a need to insert a sensitive architecture to the surrounding culture and environment. For this reason it was decided to create a partially hypogea structure to allow continuity with the landscape near the visitors' entrance.
The decision to insert the winery in a hypogea environment, a part from the surrounding insertion, allows for stable thermo-hygrometrically environments for the storage and processing of wine, as well as allowing significant energy savings. The fact of locating the complex in a fracture of the ground consents to minimize the use of soil, while the use of a "green" roof permits to reuse waste soil and improve the indoor microclimate. The choice of reinforced concrete was necessary due to its excellent bearing capacity. It is also sustainable for the proximity of a cement plant to the site (material produced on site). To conclude, a study was done for rainwater and wastewater reuse for continuous recycling and saving water resources.
The winery is developed on two levels. On the lower level, characterized by opaque walls, there are the rooms dedicated to wine processing and storage, while the upper level contains the rooms open to the public. The roof is characterized by a "suspended Mediterranean scrub" that allows the building to fit in continuity with the surrounding landscape hiding from the eyes of visitors. The architecture is designed starting from archetypes and stylistic features typical of the region, such as "dry stone walls" (UNESCO heritage site) and the "hypogean entrances" typical of the sacred environments of the Nuragic culture (like "The Well of Santa Cristina"). The reinterpretation of these archetypes is evident in the visitors' entrance, located upstream of the area, characterized by a staircase that cuts through the terrain and allows the descent to the "tasting room", an environment that opens with large windows into a valley immersed in the mountains. The project is designed in reinforced concrete. The exterior parts will be additivated with native earth colours to mitigate its inclusion in the landscape. The interiors feature exposed concrete with vertical slats. The lower floor dedicated to processing is characterized by a few openings, in which the plastic conception of concrete complements the naturalness of the wood of the barrels and the steel of the wine fermentation silos, positioned in a full-height space overlooked by the upper rooms.
A winery immersed in nature, hidden from the visitor, recalling typical traditional elements, and with the exposed concrete of the interiors imposing its contemporary strength. A project representative of what my wine wants to be, a perfect mix of tradition and contemporaneity.
The firm Mei & Pilia Ingegneri Associati, based in Cagliari, has been working in the field of architectural, urban and structural design since 1996. It is composed of the two owners: - Dr. Ing. Gianluca Pilia, (08/09/1967) - founder and team leader of the firm, graduated in Civil Engineering Building Architectural orientation from the University of Cagliari; - Dr. Ing. Luciano Mei, (03/07/1968) - co-founder graduated in Civil Engineering Structures from the University of Cagliari; and a team formed by: ing. Ivano Manca, arch. Francesco Mulas, arch. Marco Casu, arch. Saverio Muscas, eng. Tahar Al Makkiui, arch. Francesca Zucca, arch. joele Loja. The professional activity, carried out exclusively for private clients, consists in the design of: residential buildings; villas; interior architecture; buildings for hotel and commercial activities; urban planning; renovation and restoration works.
