Glenkinchie Distillery

Diageo's brief for the project comprised of the refurbishment, upgrade and conversion of a collection of Victorian Category ‘B’ listed buildings to create a new brand home and experiential visitor centre This project is part of a much larger investment by Diageo in the Scottish Whisky industry.

The redundant Maturation Warehouse was the focus for the project, but it was unheated, uninsulated, had minimal openings for natural daylight and was in a state of disrepair. Our strategy, developed with guidance from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), sensitively improves the existing fabric of the building to make it a habitable, healthy and comfortable environment whilst celebrating the original character of the building.

Historically, the Distillery was the heart of the community, providing jobs, housing, and much more.
Whilst the community was an important part of the brief, we realised that there were several opportunities and constraints which needed to be addressed - predominantly, the confusing arrival experience. To address this, we created a clear visual connection from the car park to the new entrance by removing some small structures. This allowed us to provide a clear route through the newly formed gardens and past the burn, which helped to reinforce the story of the ‘Garden Distillery’ with its floral noted whisky, before arriving at the new entrance, now located on the West elevation of the warehouse.

To create the new arrival space, provide views out to the rolling hills and allow light deep into the building, we made two significant interventions into the fabric of the warehouse’s West façade. While contemporary in nature, we wanted to be sensitive in material choice, detailing and scale. This enhances the traditional Victorian brickwork, without overpowering it.
To further preserve and enhance the character of the listed building, we reused materials from buildings of historic relevance which were removed as part of the overall proposal

The completed project offers a world class immersive visitor experience whilst maintaining a strong link with the local community and heritage. The generous gardens and new café/ bar space are widely used by the locals, which is encouraged by the Distillery.