Form Follows Process: The process of making world-class bourbon informed every aspect of the design of the new, urban, 55,000-square-foot Rabbit Hole Distillery in downtown Louisville, KY.

That, and owner Kaveh Zamanian’s desire to make his dramatic distillery transparent to the city and a destination for locals and tourists via public tours, tastings, and cocktail hours in “Overlook,” the third-floor event space that provides panoramic views of Louisville’s trendy NuLu neighborhood.

The Louisville Courier-Journal called Rabbit Hole “a modern monument to the bourbon industry.” Chilled Magazine dubbed it “an innovative distillery on Louisville's urban bourbon trail.”

The judges for Metal Construction News’ New Building and Roofing Awards recently named it the 2018 overall Grand Award winner.

Architect Douglas Pierson, AIA, describes the distillery as “a new contemporary building for a new bourbon manufacturing product in an otherwise traditional industry. A design strategy of transparency was our way of showcasing in a modern way the complex process of bourbon making for all to see, and, while standing on the shoulders of giants, ridding any expectations of secret recipes and obscure traditions.”

The massive, $15 million building is divided into two functional volumes.  The bottling, barreling, and general production is to the east. The distilling happens in the Manufacturing Atrium, a single, transparent space spanning all three floors, connected by grand staircases and landings. Through this space, a gleaming, copper, 48-foot-tall still rises.