Prinz Distillery

PRINZ GmbH has been producing distillates from regional fruit varieties in Hörbranz in western Austria since 1886. The traditional family business draws on four generations of experience and strives to produce distinctive brandies of the highest quality.
 

The design aims to emphasise the production process and the depth of production of a distillate through design elements in the architecture and to offer visitors a sensory experience. The complexity lies in the combination of partly contradictory demands: the mediation of modernity and tradition, the fusion of building structure and nature and the establishment of mechanical harvesting while retaining human craftsmanship.

HENN's vision for the building project is divided into two phases. For the first phase, the expansion of production and the construction of a visitor centre are planned. Above a continuous plinth building, green roofs rise in terraces to the high point of the distillery tower. Through the artificial topography, an elegant solution was found to reflect the landscape in an appreciative way in the context of the architecture and to create a symbiosis between the building and nature. Solid wooden beams support the sloping plateaus. With the help of large-scale glass façades, exciting views and insights are created and the harmony between the natural environment and the enclosed space is accentuated once again.

The modular construction allows production halls and tank farms to be seamlessly attached to the existing building in the second phase. At ground level, the extension flattens out and imitates a gentle hill. The rooms flow smoothly into one another and allow visitors to experience the production processes, from pressing the fruit to bottling, up close. The organic design language and the extensive greenery associate naturalness, sustainability and longevity.

A special focus is on the use of local materials. Visible solid wood constructions and mineral stone façades complement the visual appearance and contribute positively to the CO₂ balance. Landscape and design enter into a unique combination here. The quality of the PRINZ brand is to be expressed through the architecture and underline the beauty of nature.