ECOBuilder_Specifiers Journal 2018_2019

The Macallan New Distillery & Visitor Experience
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
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. The Macallan is one of the most
sought after whiskeys in the world
and wanted to create a building that
could reveal the production processes
and welcome visitors while remaining
sensitive to the beautiful surrounding
countryside.
The new distillery will enable
production of The Macallan to increase
by a third if required. Internally, a series
of production cells are arranged in a
linear format with an open-plan layout
revealing all stages of the production
process at once. These cells are
reflected above the building in the
form of a gently undulating timber
roof. Grass-covered peaks rise and fall
from The Macallan estate grounds,
signalling to approaching visitors the
activities housed beneath. Set into the
naturally sloping contours of the site,
the design makes direct references to
ancient Scottish earthworks.
The visitor experience starts with an
introduction to The Macallan in an
exhibition and gallery area, before
progressing through a sequence of
spaces that follow the production
story of the whiskey. Natural materials
– local stone, timber and the living
meadow roof – as well as the
landscaping design not only evoke
the environment and ingredients of
whiskey production but also serve to
provide an atmospheric journey for
the visitor.
The roof structure is in two principle
parts, the primary tubular steel support
frame and the undulating domes and
valleys of the timber grid shell. 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 380,000
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 façades.
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.
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 roof includes roof-lights and
process ventilation apertures 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.
54 ECO BUILDER: THE SPECIFIERS JOURNAL - 2018-2019 ECO BUILDER: THE SPECIFIERS JOURNAL - 2018-2019 55