Cumulus Studio repurposed some shipping containers for the cellar door and food market in the heart of the scenic East Coast of Tasmania, Australia. The structure proposes three distinct spaces reference different and unique views of the site – firstly the sky, then the horizon and lastly the tower, which provides an elevated and expansive view of the bay below.

Called Devil's Corner, the aim of the project is to create a new tourism experience by combining a lookout, cellar door and complimentary food experiences in this mountainy area. Visitors winding north along the Tasman Highway on Tasmania’s scenic East Coast would be familiar with the Cherry Tree Hill lookout. 

Shortly after Cranbrook, a corridor of eucalypts and scrub parts to reveal the stunning first glimpse of the iconic granite mountains of the Freycinet Peninsula jutted above Moulting Lagoon. The lure of the view is irresistible with visitors quickly swerving across the blind corner and skidding to a stop along the narrow verge for the irresistible photo opportunity.

In the foreground of the panorama are the lush green blocks of one of Tasmania’s largest vineyards, Devil’s Corner, and its cellar door. Reopened in November 2015, this project for Brown Brothers seeks to simultaneously make safe and amplify the experience of this iconic view to create a new tourism experience on the East Coast of Tasmania. 

Associated with this is a series of complimentary food experiences forming a local market and providing a back drop for seasonal events.

The Cellar Door and Lookout were designed as a loose collection of timber clad buildings that, through similar aesthetic and material treatment, form a modern interpretation of traditional farm / rural settlement that gather over time. 

The Cellar Door & food market have been collected around a courtyard space which allows shelter and respite from the surrounding environment while allowing views through the tasting space to the Hazards beyond and access to open deck spaces.

Through the careful placement of a series of timber clad shipping containers, visitors are invited to visually explore the landscape within and around the vineyard through curated framed views. The lookout element is a critical component of the design, not only in providing a visual signifier for the settlement but also as a way of interpreting the landscape from which the Devil’s Corner wines originate. 

In the same way that an appreciation of wine can be gained through understanding its subtleties and varying ‘in-mouth’ sensations, there are many ways landscape can be appreciated. The lookout plays with this idea. By creating a dynamic scenic lookout and providing associated facilities, visitors are drawn to a new upgraded cellar door for the Devil’s Corner wine label.

Project Facts

Location: Apslawn, Tasmania
Client: Brown Brothers
Year: 2015
Status: Completed
Architect: Cumulus Studio

All images © Tanja Milbourne

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