Wine Cellar Gottardo
Iron, stone and memory: a wine cellar suspended in stone
In Airolo, Switzerland, just before the Gotthard tunnel, Winest has created a bespoke wine cellar in a space of strongly tactile character, one that evokes the authentic atmosphere of a Ticino grotto. The stone of the walls and vault is neither hidden nor smoothed over. Instead it becomes the true protagonist of the project, the natural backdrop for building a contemporary cellar.
The powder-coated iron wine rack was designed to cope with the pronounced irregularities of the masonry. Suspended and visually light, it absorbs the unevenness of the rock face without invasive work and leaves as much stone exposed as possible. The effect is of a piece of furniture set into the wall, seeming to float within the space rather than rest against it.
The fibre cement shelves reinforce this effect, chosen for their tone and a texture that converses with the rock without imitating it. Integrated lighting runs along the shelving and grazes the uneven surfaces, bringing out the texture of the stone and adding depth to the room.
Beside the new structure sits an object full of memory: the old carpenter's workbench that belonged to the owner's grandfather, fully restored. A small climate-controlled wine cabinet has been built into it, turning a familiar object into a working part of the new cellar without erasing its identity.
Iron, fibre cement, stone and restored wood live together in a unique design wine cellar, deeply tied to its place. A Winest project in which the constraints of an irregular space become design opportunities, and technology slips discreetly into a setting that keeps its material, memory and character intact.
- Location: Airolo (CH)
- Completed: 2026
- Design: Everlaparchitects
- Photo: Ekaterina Semenova