Vasse Felix Winery

BACKGROUND: Vasse Felix is an iconic winery in the Western Australian town of Margaret River. Over a period of several years, the architectural studio Iredale Pederson Hook (IPH) - where Martyn Hook is a Director - collaborated with Hecker Guthrie to transform the winery into a landmark destination reflecting the calibre and culture of the region. CONTRIBUTION: The project involved a methodical process that carefully stripped back the building's additions and modifications accumulated over the years, in order to reveal the authentic qualities of the original architecture. IPD redefined the circulation and connectivity between spaces, simplified logistics and production processes, reoriented entry to the facility and created a new functional 'back of house.' IPD used the building's authentic palette of local stone, rough-sawn recycled Marri and black steel, shifting the focus back to its original tactile materials, generous volumes and spectacular view. These 'weighty architectural moves' make it 'difficult to see where the existing design stops and the new begins' (Hook in Curnow, H. 'Raw and Refined: Vasse Felix,' Artichoke, 2017). This project demonstrates Hooks' ongoing practice to produce works that are as individual as the landscape they occupy, and which embody sensitive design responses to existing architectural conditions. SIGNIFICANCE: The project was awarded Commendation in the Interior Architecture category at the Western Australia Architecture Awards by the Australian Institute of Architects. It was reviewed by Hayley Curnow in the September 2017 issue of Artichoke magazine, and this was republished online by the professional journal Architecture Australia in February 2018.