麦卡伦蒸馏厂及游客体验馆

麦卡伦新酿酒厂所在的景观庄园，自1824年以来就负责生产单一麦种威士忌。作为全球最知名的威士忌酒厂之一，麦卡伦希望打造一个展示制造过程而且对游客友善的新中心，同时保持对周围乡村美景的敏感度。

新建筑的设施将增加酒厂的产能，未来几年也可轻松扩充。室内一系列生产单元采用线性排列，开放式布局可同时显示流程的各阶段，盖上木网壳屋顶结构，对应下方单元的位置缓缓起伏。草皮覆盖的波峰起起落落，向游客示意下方的工业活动。建筑融入用地的自然斜坡轮廓，设计更是借鉴古代苏格兰的土方工程。

伊斯特埃尔奇斯之家是一栋原始的18世纪高地庄园大屋，至今仍是庄园内的主要焦点，不远处就是新游客体验馆的入口。庄园整体与酒厂同样重要，所以利用对地形的细腻处里，揭示建筑的形体并控制视线，以免显得太做作或太过华丽。伟大18世纪园林设计师都明白景观的两大要素就是流线和流动；享受公园的过程应该是蜿蜒闲适。这座新酒厂是对威士忌制程以及周边地景灵感的赞颂。

新酒厂與现有设施皆位于伊斯特埃尔奇斯之家390 英亩（158 公顷）的庄园内。

建于1700年，这栋古迹建筑是经典高地庄园，这块土地最早由维多利亚时代的景观设计师老托马斯·怀特尔所设计，平面图都皆是1789年绘制。新酒厂选址「高度景观价值区」内，四周都是大麦田。

新的游客引道恢复一条古老车道，该车道绕行酿酒厂一圈后回到原点，为酒厂正门创造一段精心设计的到达仪式。参观动线呈现威士忌制程的各项自然要素：大麦田变成耐久的橡树，代表制作威士忌桶的木材；来到树下，游客会遇见天然的石铺路和石砌瀑布水景，强调天然泉水和过滤杂质的当地石材在蒸馏过程中的重要性。

新的游客引道恢复一条古老车道，该车道绕行酿酒厂一圈后回到原点，为酒厂正门创造一段精心设计的到达仪式。参观动线呈现威士忌制程的各项自然要素：大麦田变成耐久的橡树，代表制作威士忌桶的木材；来到树下，游客会遇见天然的石铺路和石砌瀑布水景，强调天然泉水和过滤杂质的当地石材在蒸馏过程中的重要性。

酿酒厂嵌入景观斜坡，从古老的苏格兰土方工程中汲取灵感。起伏的屋顶种植苏格兰野花草甸，均匀地上升下降，标记下方四座生产单元的位置，比较高的第五峰则代表入口和游客中心。屋顶的木材结构通过植栽显而易见：延用托马斯·怀特的有序人工造景的传统。

有鉴于用地位在"景观价值区域"内，设计就是对景观的响应。

挖进场地的自然斜坡，建筑对景观的视觉冲击非常小。柔和起伏的屋顶关联周围的乡间丘陵，但整齐划一的屋顶显然是人工所为，体现出内部的工业生产单元。

五个单元上方的屋顶，其造型体现酒厂的构件。该建筑包括一个灵活的游客中心（由比较高的屋顶覆盖），三座蒸馏室和糖化间。游客体验

先从展览和长廊区的“麦卡伦缘起”开始，然后沿着威士忌生产故事进行一系列空间介绍。天然材料 – 当地石材、木材和活草原屋顶 – 以及景观设计，不仅呼应威士忌生产的环境和成分，也为游客提供一趟沉浸式旅程。

生产间配备捣碎、发酵和蒸馏的圆形设备，并采用模块化方法，可可根据需求增设额外的蒸馏室。此外，服务动线和"酒库农场"在屋顶下方沿着建筑物后侧，切入景观之中。

下层结构和排水

施工一期是土方工程的下层结构、防水和混凝土挡土结构，此为施工现状信息的初期提资。大型开放场地的优点允许明挖覆盖空间，并将土方暂存在现场。明挖覆盖减轻了最重要挡土结构的临时板桩基础用量。主要挡土墙被盖成独立式墙体，后续回填。

RIW Structaseal was used as the below slab waterproofing and as a bentonite filled matt is activated when in contact with water. This is lapped with RIW LAC for all of the vertical surfaces which were also to be later submerged by back filling.

The concrete structures themselves utilise a grey aggregate mix, slightly darkened in colour by the use of a local pulverised fuel ash or PFA to act as a cement alternative. Whilst later value engineered, the concrete was due to be pigmented to a dark grey in colour. The end result is however nevertheless very successful. The concrete structures are generally 300mm thick for the walls and 200mm for the typical slabs. The walls are reinforced with diagonal counterfort structures at 3m intervals with submerged land drains to mitigate the earth and hydro static pressures.

The below slab drainage required deep digs and addresses the removal of both foul and storm waters but also the process specific drainage of spirit spills as well as potential fire water. Process drainage all needs to be captured and exhausted from the building before being processed within the on-site effluent plant.

Circular process drainage is located at the centre of each of the production cells to remove escaped production spirit.

Superstructure

Whilst the design of the roof is described as a landscape response the design was always intended to appear man-made. The roof was never intended to disappear or be lost within the hillside. As such the roof is positioned on top of the retaining structure and not bound by it. This allows the upstanding depth of the roof structure to act as a balustrade to the gridline 09 tank farm edge and to the northern edge of the roof as it appears to meet the ground. As the roof ‘sails’ above the retaining structures it is freed from restraining ground pressures and loads.

‘By divorcing the roof and walls, the building could be constructed in open cut and the roof erected later in the programme. This meant work could start before the roof was completely designed and advantage taken of good weather to mobilize an immense earthmoving exercise.’ Bob Lang, Arup.

The roof structure is in two principle parts, the primary tubular steel support frame and the undulating domes and valleys of the timber grid shall. The primary steel frame is laced through the centre of the timber beam structure and helps to resist the torsional forces. The timber domes act in compression and the interconnecting valleys are hung between the domes. All of the roof beams are straight and all of the cassettes are flat double skinned panels. This provides a facetted appearance so important for the engineered landscape. Despite the highly repetitive and rotational roof geometry the finished structure is constructed from over 380 thousand components. The beams are a composite of glulam and laminated veneered lumbar (LVL) and steel reinforced in certain key locations. All of the timber beams are vertical and a constant expressed depth of 750mm which allows for considered and neat interfaces with internal partitions as well as the solid and glazed facades.

Façade and glazing

Running the full length of the eastern and southern elevations of the building is full height double glazing. The façade is composed of 3m wide structurally bonded double glazed panels which are supported from the base and restrained at the head with a flexible movement joint. The façade is further supported by full height vertical triple-ply glazed mullions. These maintain excellent internal views out to the landscape beyond.

The interface between the main glazed façade and associated down-stand roof beam is a key and important interface. Running the full length of the building and spanning both the production distillery and visitor centre the façade undulates between 2.6m and 5m in height. The interface at roof level incorporates a flexible movement detail which needs to accommodate the vertical and lateral range of movements possible within the roof structure. In order to remain engaged to the roof, the façade is pivoted at the base to move, unperceptively, with the lateral movement of the roof and all this whilst maintaining the thermal and weathering performance of the thermal envelope.

Green roof and coverings

On top of the timber roof structure is a layered roof build-up of circa 300mm in depth. This is made up of some 150mm of vapour barrier, thermal insulation and waterproofing and then a further 150mm of green living roof. As a factory, the roof above the production distillery does not require thermal insulation for building regulation compliance however insulation is maintained to protect the irrigated green roof from the warming and drying effects of the distillery below.

The 3m structural grid of the timber roof is architecturally expressed within the living roof by a network of aluminium channels. These channels not only contribute to the engineered aesthetic but also crucially represent a servicing zone that crosses the entire roof. This grid provides a network of lightning protection, irrigation runs, fall restraint lines and power required for actuated vents to the visitor centre roof-lights.

The roof includes roof-lights and process ventilation apertures to emerge which are arranged in a halo like ring, directly related in plan to the circular process vessels beneath. The ventilation panels are two tiered in section and allow for the hot escaping ambient air of the process hall to vent at the lower level whilst piped process ventilation is allowed to penetrate through the roof vent panels and exhaust at a higher level. A positive pressure is always maintained by the escaping ambient hot air to prevent escaping process gases from re-circulating.

Process co-ordination

As a purpose built industrial facility the architecture and whisky making process equipment are inseparable. It is in part the circular arrangement of the ‘still-houses’, which combine both fermentation and distillation vessels into repetitive production modules that directly inform the form and scale of the building. The competition brief required a response that could be delivered in a phased manner and one which could continue to expand in the future if required.

The new distillery is also the ‘home of the whisky’ and it was always very important to be able to clearly see and understand all of the process machinery, nothing is hidden. Therefore very close cooperation was required to engage in the arrangement and co-ordination of all of the process equipment. Via 3D model exchange and regular meetings and dialogue the end product is a testament to the collaborative approach taken by RSHP, Arup, the base build team and the process contract parties of The Macallan, with Forsyths and Haden Freeman.

Compartment wall

The visitor centre is located to the southern end of the facility and it was always important to us that the two were physically combined. The visitor centre is seen as the reception to the distillery and not a separate area where one learns about a process abstractly. It was therefore important that from within the visitor centre one can see into beautifully co-ordinated production. Nothing is to be hidden away. A 10m tall double glazed façade wall separates the visitor centre and distillery and performs as a 2hr fire compartment line via the use of a sprinkler deluge system. This separates the ‘factory’ designated production hall and the ‘assembly’ space of the visitor centre. The construction of the wall is a combination of intumescent coated fabricated steel columns which are vertically cantilevered from the floor. These in turn support double glazed panels which are 3m wide by 5m tall to an overall height of 10m and to the Tyco sprinkler specification. Whilst a similar arrangement has been utilised elsewhere previously, due to the excessive height of the wall and the particular nature of the component arrangement, it was necessary to demonstrate via a full scale prototype that the fire integrity was achieved. This took the form of a 5m section of the wall, including the timber roof and connecting interfaces which was then subjected to a fire test at the Building Research Establishment (BRE). The design fire was based on a worst case retail fire accelerated by ethanol. It was necessary to physically demonstrate on site that the process side drainage strategy was sufficient to remove a potentially flammable spill quickly enough to remove the threat of a process fire.

Cave privée

The sherry cask maturation of the distilled spirit is an incredibly important aspect of the Macallan brand narrative and yet visibility of actual maturing casks was not a part of the original competition brief. This was very quickly adjusted within the early completion and concept design phase and the central ‘broch’ structure within the visitor centre became an exclusive private cellar, or cave privée. This is a circular double height volume for the display of whisky casks located around the inner perimeter. Constructed of 300mm thick concrete walls the cave privée is a separate 2hr fire compartment within the visitor centre but the environment of the space is required to accurately represent the same conditions of all other maturing Macallan spirit within ‘traditional warehousing. A circular double glazed viewing platform is located within the centre of the volume.

General

The project was procured as a traditional contract with a series of contractor designed portions and uses steam generated from an adjacent forestry commission biomass plant as the primary energy source for the distillation. Low grade waste heat from the production process is captured via a heat exchanger to supply hot water for the visitor centre and underfloor heating.