Sasse Distillery: Auditorium and Museum

The Sasse Distillery in west Münsterland requested a concept for a visitor area and a storage depot. The challenge was to create a design that references the forms and materials of traditional agricultural buildings in the Münsterland while translating these to a timeless idiom.The new storage depot forms a landmark on the slope of Schöppinger Berg. Its base of solid Baumberg sandstone is three meters high and supports a dark timber-framed roof featuring a raised clerestory level. North-facing windows and the smal clerestory windows allow a muted light to filter into the building. Similar window formats recur on the gable ends. Combined with dimmable spotlights, this natural lighting lends a special ambience to the building's interior. The atmospheric complexity resulting from the interplay of varied natural light sources, different types of wood, coloured cement concrete, and stone will also distinguish the distillery's visitor area, where benches are provided for the convenience of tour groups. The area was extended to include a tank storage, a garden and a house for tastings. In summer of 2020, the construction of another storage depot will begin on the model of the one already in existence and the planning of a half-open shelter for tastings will be tackled.
The design principle always applies that both individual buildings and technical facilities, such as the tank storage on the site, become part of the ensemble through the perseverance of materiality and colour. The ensemble hightlights the character of a traditional family business which, while being firmly rooted in the traditions of the Münsterland region, is at the cutting edge in terms of modern production and marketing.