Speyside Distillery 2
News From The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience
The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience Wins Major Scottish Architectural Award
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) are incredibly proud to win this year’s Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) for The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience in Speyside.
The Doolan family and Aileen Campbell (Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government) presented Toby Jeavons, Associate Partner of RSHP with the RIAS’ Gold Medal at the awards ceremony, which took place at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh on the 4 October 2019. Each year since 2002, the award has celebrated the best building in Scotland in memory of its founder and patron Andrew Doolan.
The ‘Doolan’ shortlist is composed of winners from several categories from the RIAS and the RIBA National awards. RSHP is honoured by the recognition of this award and furthermore to have been shortlisted with the other six buildings that have already received such recognition from RIAS/RIBA combined awards.
This year’s judges; Prof. Sadie Morgan founding director of dRMM (Chair), Henry McKeown, of jm architects and Prof. Mona Siddiqui OBE Hon FRIAS visited and assessed the shortlisted buildings against a range of criteria including architectural integrity; usability and context; delivery and execution; and sustainability. RSHP’s The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience has received the award on these criteria. The judges said about the project “The attention to detail and the consistency and control of aesthetic decisions in this building is incredibly impressive. A worthy winner.”
The owners and client, Edrington, wanted a building that could reveal the production processes of their exceptional Single Malt Scotch Whisky and welcome visitors, while respecting the idyllic landscape of the Speyside region. This interplay of function and display fits well with RSHP’s architectural approach.
Informed by the surrounding landscape and the whisky production process, which has taken place on The Macallan Estate since 1824, the structure’s profile resembles ancient Scottish earthworks.
There is a great deal of responsibility in working with a brand and product that has the reputation of The Macallan in a landscape as beautiful as the Distillery’s Speyside setting. Throughout the design and construction, RSHP felt that it was contributing something special. To have it recognised by a Scottish authority such as RIAS is an honour.
Toby Jeavons, Associate Partner and Project Architect of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said “We are thrilled that The Macallan distillery has been awarded the Doolan for 2019. It was an incredible project to have been a part of and which was only possible due to our forward-looking and ambitious client in The Macallan. A sustainable response to a fascinating and challenging brief in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes.”
Graham Stirk, Senior Design Partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners states that, “It has been an honour for RSHP and the wider team to have assisted The Macallan in realising their vision for a new 21st century Distillery and Visitor experience. The Macallan have been exemplary clients and central to this undertaking. Creating a facility for the future that can also respect the past and create a unique addition to one of the most beautiful landscapes in Scotland. It also serves to communicate the traditions, beauty, and importance of Scottish whisky-making to the world. The resulting building represents a new aspect to our architectural vocabulary and all the team have been intellectually enriched by the whole experience.”
George McKenzie, Head of UK Engineering, Edrington adds that, “The RIAS’ Doolan Award is an extremely humbling honour to be bestowed on the team that created The Macallan Distillery Experience. The award is testament to the vision, and collaboration from our team and our partners. Together, we have been able to deliver this unique and striking piece of contemporary architecture.”
DECADENCE DEFINED – Introducing The Macallan Rare Cask Single Malt
Since 1824, The Macallan name has been a guarantee of unrivalled craftsmanship and quality. And now there is a new whisky bearing this name; a single malt born from this unwavering endeavour. This is Macallan Rare Cask, the embodiment of our obsession.
Rare Cask is crafted by our Master Whisky Maker from a small proportion of maturing casks at The Macallan distillery. These casks are handmade from Spanish and American oak; and are the best in the business. Wood defines the flavour of The Macallan, with over 60% of the character comes from the cask it is aged in. But as the name suggests, there is more to this story. Rare Cask is truly rare. This rarity comes from the fact that some of the casks used in the creation of this whisky will never be used again.
The Macallan Rare Cask captures a true decadence; its creation goes beyond any other Macallan whisky and its rarity is absolute. It is a single malt of such diversity and intricacy it challenges the very conventions of whisky creation. It is almost a reinvention by design, but yet The Macallan at its core.
Bob Dalgarno, the Master Whisky Maker is responsible for creating Rare Cask, testing his knowledge and skill to create a whisky worthy of The Macallan name. “Rare Cask is about firstly identifying a selection of casks which can truly be called rare. Each of the cask styles result in different character, so each imparts their own distinct influence on the final whisky.”
With a rich mahogany red hue, The Macallan Rare Cask showcases two of The Macallan’s greatest strengths, exceptional oak casks and natural colour, which are combined with knowledge, skill, passion, commitment and creativity. A whisky produced through meticulous dedication to wood. Some would call this an obsession. We call it The Macallan.
The Macallan Rare Cask is available from specialist whisky retailers including The Whisky Shop and has a RRP of £200.
Issued by BIG Partnership on behalf of Maxxium UK
Call Fiona Hendrie on 0131 557 5252 or email fiona.hendrie@bigpartnership.co.uk
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