Winery on the Slopes of Etna

A winery on the slopes of Etna is a design project of great interest but also quite difficult to achieve owing to the problems of interraction of different themes of great interest: the volcano, the lava flow, the pietraie (great base bed walls built in dry stone which divide the territory) the yellow broom plant that grows and contrasts against the dark colour of the lava. This business iniziative is promoted by Azienda Agricola Planeta who looks after the management of agricultural grounds as well as the production and marketing of wines and top quality evo oils. The beginning of this new venture on Etna is to set a wine growing establishment of about 35 hectars, situated about 620 meters above sea level on the north slope of Etna. The project is based in a flat clearing obtained in the middle of a lava flow from the 1800 with the goal of setting up a production plant with a capacity of about 2000 hl, proposing essential volumes in a contemporary architectural language. The plant s plani-volumetric is composed by three bodies of the structure (processing building - bottaia/for the barrels - warehouse) and has been set out with the aim of establishing continuity between the volcano, considered a conspicuous predominant element in the landscape, and the lava flow and which is capable of offering paths and work areas without losing contact with the surrounding rural habitat. The main building is a prism with a rettangular base organized on one level and is divided into two parts by a tunnel where the grapes are gathered. This structure is made in c.a.p elements and is padded with wall haggings, made from quarry lava rock and dry mounted according to local tradition. The inside of the building is divided in three areas: the first for the conferiment of the grapes, almost in a central position. In the south there is the stockage and wine making area with stainless steel tanks. In the north there ist he bottling area with a small wine laboratory. The covering is flat with a garden roof. The building has the shape of a monolith which integrates and confronts with the surrounding environment, directing the visitors sight towards the cone of the volcano.

The bottaia is concieved as a petraia. The building, partially buried, is 1.8m above the level of the countryside. The part above ground is cladded with lavic stone, collected and dry mounted according to the construction of the 'petraie' of Etna. The buried floor plan is approx 2m compared to the counrtyside level and can be reached using the slight ramp or a stairway that is encased in the rock. The roof is covered in lavic gravel and has a stairway dug in the stone which transforms the roof in a terrace. The third volume is entirely made of modular elements in prefabbricated reinforced concrete, but the external walls have a traditional dark grey plaster finishing. The building is surrounded by a 1.8m tall wall which creates a closed garden.

The project goal was to guarantee a sustainable intervention using technical knowledges, such as: - lava stone wall with high thermal inertia; - insulation systems made by natural materials; - natural air circulation system; - use of local building materials environmentally friendly.