Situated on a prominent hill rising above the floor of the Okanagan Valley, the Mission Hill Winery is a 120,000-square-foot complex of buildings designed to transform the visitor. As visitors pass through the welcoming entry arches, they enter a world dedicated to wine. A Wine Education Center with a small theater anchors the visitor experience. An outdoor loggia, amphitheater and vineyard terrace provide breathtaking views of the lake and valley below. A 12-story bell tower is the focal point of the courtyard. The design, consciously serene, eschews festival-like architecture in favor of a timeless, monastic quality.
Photo: Paul Warchol
Mission Hill Family Estate
West Kelowna, Canada
On the exterior, earth-toned concrete give the building forms an understated, contemporary aesthetic. The buildings surround a central courtyard and amphitheater. Inside the buildings, the visitor is embraced by quiet, cool, and dimly lit spaces. The belltower—an 85-foot-high viewing tower—rises above the courtyard affording incredible views of the valley and becomes a signature for the winery itself. Dramatic underground cave cellars highlight the winemaking education tour, media center, boutique and tasting areas. Exterior courtyards and gardens provide space for picnicking.
In addition to general visitor areas, there are VIP areas that include special reception/banquet halls and tasting areas. Guest quarters for VIPs are set in the vineyards to reinforce the connections to wine and the process of winemaking. Parking and site circulation is located in such a way as to separate their presence from the arrival sequence. Business offices, a winemakers lab, and commercial kitchens for banquet and events catering round out the program.
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
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Publications
2023
“Top Five Places to Sip, Stay, and Play in the Okanagan, BC.” Wander with Wonder, 25 Sep. 2023. Web.
2020
Molinari, Luca and Anja Visini. The World Winery Collection: Innovative design, sustainability and the landscape. Florence: Forma Edizioni, 2020, x208-215. Book.
2018
“Mission Hill Family Estate / Olson Kundig.” ArchDaily, 27 Dec. 2018. Web.
Sasvari, Joanne. “Wine by design.” Vitis Magazine, 28 Sept. 2018. Web.
Sasvari, Joanne. “Wine by design.” Vitis Magazine, Fall/Winter 2018, 4, 22-25. Print.
Tobler, Jim. “Building a Legacy.” Absolute Okanagan, Oct. 2018, 56, 58, 60. Print.
Tobler, Jim. “Building a Legacy.” Absolute Okanagan, 25 Sept. 2018. Web.
Welton, J. Michael. “Shelter.” Ocean Home Magazine, April 2018, 16-18, 20, 22, 24. Print.
2017
“Raise a glass to winery architecture.” Newscaf, 15 May 2017. Web.
Stanley, Adam. “Raise a glass to winery architecture.” The Globe and Mail, 15 May 2017. Web.
“Swirl and Sip through British Columbia.” Four Magazine, 8 Mar. 2017. Web.
“The Okanagan’s 8 Most Stunning Wineries.” Vancouver Magazine, 12 Jan. 2017. Web.
2016
Abbott, Eva. “Les plus beaux chais d’architectes.” Architectural Digest France, 13 April 2016. Web.
MacNaul, Steve. “Winery among world’s most beautiful.” Kelowna Daily Courier, 6 May 2016. Web.
Sung, Amy. “A Travel Guide to Canada’s Okanagan Valley.” Travel Age West¸ 11 April 2016. Web.
Weld, Carmen. “World’s best architecture.” Castanet, 5 May 2016. Web.