PROJECTS » Macallan Distillery
THE BRIEF:
The Macallan, one of the most famous whisky makers in the world, created a stunning new distillery and visitor centre remaining sensitive to the beautiful surrounding countryside. The recently completed £140 million building just outside Elgin, on Speyside has since been awarded the 2019 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award. The distillery’s design reflects the whisky production processes – with an aesthetic focused on enhancing the natural surroundings in an environmentally friendly, sustainable way. Bringing the outdoors in with creative indoor planting seemed like a perfect fit.
Edrington sought to use plants in creative ways to soften the space, creating zones in the huge open plan area, making it as attractive as possible to visitors.
THE SOLUTION:
The space was designed with simplicity in mind; clean lines and discrete placement ensuring visitor focus is uncluttered so we took to the drawing board, exploring plants best suited to the distillery environment, planter designs which best complimented the space and practicalities of day-to-day use.
THE RESULTS:
The welcome area is incredibly important, setting the tone for the visitor experience. An arrangement at the welcome desk, a modern twist on traditional Scottish thistles was selected as were stone effect planters containing lush green Dracaena plants
Tasked with injecting a colour pop into the bathrooms, framed foliage was hung in each of them. The simple white frames echoed the design’s clean lines but also added texture created by the tumbling finish.
The bar area is simply stunning – with a huge wall of glass offering spectacular views for miles across the rolling countryside. To offer visitors the best experience we enhanced the area with lashings of greenery, bringing together the interior and exterior with stone effect barriers and tower planters filled with Dracaena Janet Craig. This plant is the perfect choice for an environment with low humidity and air conditioning. Bespoke barriers separate the bar making the most of the opportunity to display the Macallan branding.
A group of tall sustainable timber planters filled with leafy Dracaena and Aglaonema plants successfully create a natural barrier, separating a staff only area. The planters are trimmed with stainless steel for a modern finish.
