The proud winner of the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Award for Architecture and Landscapes in 2012 and 2013, Waterkloof is a beacon of architectural excellence atop the Schapenberg Hills. The spectacular building design is based around virtues that echo our winemaking style, such as honesty and transparency.
In 2009, Waterkloof Cellar triumphed as the first South African architectural feat for Castle Rock Design, an Australian based company that is internationally recognised for its innovation in the design and management of wineries, luxury resorts and hospitality-related projects. Castle Rock Design’s impressive CV includes numerous cellars in Australia and Europe, and the Injidub Spa Retreat which received an exclusive listing with Small Luxury Hotels of the World – a title shared by only a handful of elite luxury hotels and resorts in Australia. Neil Muller Construction (NMC) was the main contractor on Waterkloof’s building project.
“Waterkloof is committed to making elegant wines in the most honest and authentic method possible,” says Waterkloof’s architect Mitch Hayhow, Director of Castle Rock Design. “Clearly, the building must be a reflection of this commitment. The principle of the design is based around honesty, transparency and authenticity. There is the absolute minimum of applied finishes. Rather we wanted the natural materials to be expressed, warts and all.”
Encased in a contemporary glass and concrete sphere, our ‘Cellar in the Sky’ contains a magnificent barrel maturation cellar, a state-of-the-art gravitational cellar, a modern tasting room and a glass box fine-dining restaurant featuring the uninterrupted mountain, vineyard and ocean views of Waterkloof’s amphitheatre setting. “Our desire for Waterkloof has always been to create a perfectly functioning environment within a form that radiates beauty,” says Paul Boutinot. “We hope that the design and execution stands the test of time.”