Work has been completed on the Vertical Panorama Pavilion in Sonoma, California. Designed by Studio Other Spaces, a Berlin studio founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Sebastian Behmann, the pavilion will be used as a space for wine tasting by The Donum Estate, one of California’s leading Pinot Noir producers.

The scheme was conceived through a deep reflection on the site’s natural elements, taking what the designers call a “vertical slice” through the site. Such elements include the crunching sound of walking on a gravel path, the fragrances of surrounding soil and flora, the sound of wind, grass, and insects, and the formations of clouds and fog.

The pavilion’s defining architectural feature is its conical canopy with a northern-oriented oculus, clad with 832 colored laminated glass panels. The panels consist of 24 colors in variations of transparent and translucent hues, determined by in-depth studies of the site’s natural soil, vegetation, wind, sun, atmosphere, rain, and seasons.

“Vertical Panorama Pavilion is a hospitable space, which celebrates the exceptional wine at Donum and the microclimates that created it” said Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann in a statement. “The specific design elements are abstractions of components taken from a vertical slice through the pavilion’s location on the Estate. The pavilion maps out the surrounding ephemera – the soil, vegetation, wind, sun, atmosphere, and rain – and incorporates these into the colorful canopy, reflecting the wine’s unique signature.”

Beneath the canopy, visitors will participate in wine tasting, artwork, and sightseeing across the wider Donum Estate, whose vineyard is also home to 50 works of site-specific sculptures and artworks titled The Donum Collection.

Three circular spaces are carved into the undulating topology beneath the canopy: the Arrival Space, Tasting Space, and Service Space. Rearrangeable seating within the spaces are orientated to emphasize views to the south towards a nearby bay, while the changing topography surrounding the spaces creates a variation between inward intimacy and outward expansive panoramas.

“The pavilion offers a unique experience of the specific qualities of the site, represented in an arrangement that specifically shifts our attention to the elements surrounding us,” the designers continue. “Vertical Panorama Pavilion creates a state of mind and body that aims at enhancing the wine tasting, making the experience of the wine itself unique and not repeatable.”

The circular canopy is formed of an intricate lattice steel structure, raised off the ground by 12 stainless steel structural columns. Much of the scheme’s construction took place off-site, including the welding and assembly of the lattice structure and the installation of the colored panels. The roof structure was then transported to site and hoisted into place on the 12 columns.

All elements used on the pavilion were sourced within 100 miles of the project. The sweeping pathway leading to the pavilion is formed of TerraPave, a compact surface derived from pine tree resin and biodegradable binders. The pathway is lined with clay bricks finished in a mirrored surface, stacked in an atypical way to add a further sense of dynamism and movement.

The site walls within the pavilion are constructed from shotcrete faced with bricks made of local clay. The signature glazed panels, meanwhile, are formed of handmade recycled glass, with colored Polyvinyl butyral interlayers and additional solar coating.

“The ephemeral conditions of the area set the prerequisites for making great wine,” the designers add. “And our approach to capture a vertical cut of all these circumstances aims at giving an overview that aims at enhancing the wine tasting, making the experience of the wine itself unique and not repeatable."