Bottles Recess
The Bottles Recess complements the Bottles Congress by offering a secluded space for leisurely wine appreciation. Though connected via a corridor, it stands apart in purpose and atmosphere, softening the Congress’s aesthetic with subdued lighting. A flexible venue, it hosts tastings, exhibitions, and events. Divided into three areas, it transitions from a social counter to an intimate retreat showcasing industry heritage. Discreetly accessible, it’s a hidden haven for oenology enthusiasts.
After the exercise of designing the Bottles Congress as a venue for showcasing and selling wines and spirits, the Bottles Recess seeks to complement the ensemble with a space dedicated to a different kind of experience where one can, without rush, schedules, or disturbances, enjoy a special moment.
Although functioning as an extension of the Bottles Congress (connected to it by a corridor that, without revealing the space where it culminates, already establishes a transition between both places) and presenting an aesthetic developed from the Congress’s prior language, this is a distinct space with its own nature. Featuring a softer and more diffuse lighting, it aims to provide a separate nucleus from the commercial hustle and bustle.
Designed as a tribute to wine products, the Bottles Recess is a flexible space that combines the exhibition of unique and historical pieces from both the industry and the store’s parent house with opportunities for gatherings and introspection. It is suitable for individual or social wine tastings and special events, equipped for multimedia presentations and even food preparation for wine harmonising, for instance.
The Bottles Recess unfolds as a sequence of three interconnected spaces with varying degrees of intimacy. Upon arriving from the Congress, visitors are greeted by a spacious area supported by a counter for preparing beverages and food, capable of informally hosting a small group.
From this area, one moves forward to a central zone with more comfortable lighting, lined with pinewood, where small tables for individual use are accompanied by a long bench and a tall, central table, allowing for for various uses.
Many of the designed elements have dual purposes (pieces that function as both benches and shelves, or as tables and display stands) and encourage a lingering, appreciative experience of the Bottles Recess’ context through explicit, graphical and visually engaging construction details.
This succession of spaces culminates in a retreat with subtle and welcoming lighting: a place of intimacy and introversion. Here, two armchair zones with small coffee tables are framed in a quasi-museum-like context of special pieces from the Parent-House and the family on which it has flourished since its inception.
Though naturally connected to the Congress, the Bottles Recess is designed to operate fully autonomously, separated from the Congress by a concealed sliding door. It also reveals its own entrance from the street, discreetly hidden within one of its display units, much like the speakeasies that proliferated in the United States during Prohibition.
The Bottles Recess is a hidden haven where time stands still and external distractions cease: a sanctuary where one can calmly experience the finest offerings of oenology and its associated arts.
