THE £140 million Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience has won the 2019 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.
The Speyside distillery, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, was built by Robertson and has already scooped a number of prestigious industry awards.
This latest accolade was presented at a ceremony at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Aileen Campbell, cabinet secretary for communities and local government said, “The RIAS Andrew Doolan Award underlines the importance that Scotland places on good design, and this year’s winning project, The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience, is an outstanding addition to our built environment.
“We will continue to support the architecture and design sector so that Scotland’s buildings and places enrich our lives, lessen our environmental impact and contribute to our cultural and national identity.”
This year’s judges were Professor Sadie Morgan from, dRMM; Henry McKeown, director of jm architect; and Professor Mona Siddiqui OBE Hon FRIAS, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity.
The judges commented: “The attention to detail and the consistency and control of aesthetic decisions in this building is incredibly impressive. The technology of how the architecture is made, is complimented by the theatrical arrangement, and format of the locally crafted copper whisky stills, mash tanks and the labyrinth of pipework that connects them and makes them work. This is a harmonious, confident, highly accomplished work at every level. The same level of care and attention to detail and painstaking co-ordination was also evident in the mechanical and electrical design of this vast machine, everything has been thought through and built expertly. For the jury this building was the undisputed winner of this prestigious award.”
