Smelling and tasting are basic activities our senses involve when we drink wine. When we were approached to design Taste Wine Co. store, we were challenged to add a tactile experience that would allow users to interact, through a phone, with a series of wine tasting devices integrated into the architecture.
A system of modular display/storage wood structures wraps the walls and the ceiling re-shaping entirely the interior space into a new spatial volumetric reality. The store is conceived to guide the customer to a new way of shopping for wine. The transparent storefront aims to bring the city virtually inside, while the light becomes more dimmed in the heart of the store where the tasting tables are located. The background wall of the store is composed by a vertical translucent partition housing an installation of clear wine bottles. This element acts as light diffuser, becoming a point of attraction for the customers and providing a demising wall for a special tasting room located in the back.
The lighting is provided by a series of linear LEDs placed behind the ceiling with accent lights on specific programmatic areas such as the point of sale, and the tasting tables. The materials chosen are natural wood contrasted by a gray envelope of painted walls and epoxy floor. This composition allows for a play of a planar and modular porosity where the gray walls and floor are containing the wooden framework that engages the customers in a three dimensional visual connection.
