Refined modernisation

A family business modernises: the winepress building of a historical vineyard was renovated using wood and clay bricks to give future generations an enduring yet contemporary home.

Elegant press house building in Austria

Those who work the land act with foresight, protect their heritage and nurture the new. The winegrowers of the Adam-Lieleg vineyard in the Austrian wine region of Styria also live by these values. The family business was established in 1893 and three generations currently work here together. The vines that have won the Vineyard 11 national prizes and three international prizes grow on around 10 hectares of land. A few years ago, the winegrowers realised it was time to modernise the old winepress building and cellar, and add a guest house.

Retro meets modern

They began converting the winepress building and adding an extension for the new guest house in 2019. The building was planned as a modern timber construction with brick elements that would blend in with the ensemble of historical buildings around the farm. They chose a vintage clay roof tile in the colour Engobe Sand to match the wooden façade. They decided to use the tile not only on the roof but also on the façade creating a unique overall look.

The vintage clay roof tile has a roughened surface that harks back to bygone days: it is faintly reminiscent of larch shingles and gives the building a historical appearance while still being extremely durable and resistant to weathering. The choice of materials creates a certain vintage character. Original, distinguished and retro – the Adam-Lieleg Vineyard seems to unite these meanings of the word “vintage”.

Outlooks and insights

The façade of the 15.5-m-high building is formed by 165 m² of clay bricks, sunburnt larch slats and cement fibre boards. A further 260 m² of clay tiles were used on the roof. Guttering and downpipes are concealed so as not to disturb the overall picture. The new building was designed to visually embody craftsmanship and innovation. The timber construction with brick elements provides both views of the landscape and glimpses into the vineyard’s production and work processes. Visitors can now look into the production rooms through large windows. In the long term, however, the improvements and optimised processes are intended to simplify production so that not only the next generation, but many more to come, will benefit from this investment.