Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience has been shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize

Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience has been shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.

Opened in 2018 and designed by architects Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners, for client Edrington, the new Macallan distillery and visitor experience is set into the landscape of the estate that has been distilling the world’s leading single malt since 1824. As one of the world’s most prestigious whisky makers, Macallan sought a new facility that could showcase its production process and warmly welcome visitors while respecting the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The new building by RSHP is designed to enhance production capacity and facilitate future expansion.

Gillespies has worked alongside Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners to create a striking, undulating green roof that subtly conceals while hinting at the whisky production inside. Situated in Speyside, an Area of Great Landscape Value, the facility is is set within a Scottish Grassland meadow. Inside, the production cells are arranged in a linear, open-plan layout that simultaneously reveals every stage of the whisky-making process. This arrangement is mirrored above by a gently undulating roof crafted from a timber grid shell. The roof is topped by 3,620 square metres of grass roof, designed by Gillespies. The grass-covered peaks of the roof rise and fall with the natural contours of the estate, signalling the activities within to approaching visitors. The design, integrated into the site's sloping landscape, pays homage to ancient Scottish earthworks.

The roof features a custom blend of grasses and wildflowers, incorporating naturally occurring species to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding meadow landscape while enhancing biodiversity and counteracting the decline of grassland habitats in Scotland.

Learn more about the project here.