The long awaited state of the art Macallan Distillery has finally been unveiled last week Since 2016, we were treated to the occasional glimpse of the contemporary distillery’s facade while construction progressed in secrecy. We at Jakarta Whisky Research Society have been holding our breath ever since, excited for the day we can see the interior of the £140 million distillery – today we have it, and it didn’t disappoint! Part Bond villain-esque ultra modern lair, part green space, it is definitely an architectural icon.
The striking piece of contemporary architecture is cut into the slope of the land, taking its cues from ancient Scottish hills and maximising the aesthetic beauty of the building whilst minimising the visual impact on the Speyside landscape, which has been classified as an ‘Area of Great Landscape Value’.
The undulating timber roof structure is one of the most complicated timber roof structures in the world, comprising 380,000 individual components. Each junction and beam has a specific name and has been tested in over 160 different load conditions while ‘The Swiss Alpine Design code’ has been used to understand the effects of wind, snow and ice on the intricate structure.
This architectural behemoth is undertook by Elgin-based Robertson Construction over 3 and a half year, working with 25 contractors to bring the vision for the new distillery and visitor experience to life. During construction, up to 400 people specialising in more than 20 different trades were employed on site! 400 specialists! I don’t think Indonesia have seen an architectural project as detailed as this yet.
This new extension will increase The Macallan’s output capacity by another 30% and create 60 new jobs to the local community. The Distillery and visitor centre will open to public officially on June 2, so if you happen to be in Scotland, make sure to have a look.
To us in Indonesia, gather your friends this weekend and raise a dram to The Macallan to congratulate this historic milestone and be part of the celebration.
– Cover Picture by Ian Gavan
No Comments