The Niagara area in Ontario is known as ‘Wine Country’. According to statistics, the volume of wine sold in Ontario in 2013 was around 17.4 million litres and the economy was worth $346 million. Compared that to Ontario’s population of around 12.8 million people in 2013.

In such a wine-loving region, how can architecture contribute to this?

Photographs Courtesy of Wanda Ely Architect

“The space under the stair landing is maximized with this compact, yet elegant, wine cellar” – Wanda Ely Architect

Photographs Courtesy of Wanda Ely Architect

“The glass corner, viewed from recreation room, makes the wine cellar appear larger as well as allowing glimpses of the bottles stored on sleek, metal pegs. Spray lacquered wall/door panels with touch latch hardware conceal storage space below stair” – Wanda Ely Architect

Photographs Courtesy of Wanda Ely Architect

“The provision of concealed storage and the reorganization of wasted space both help to overcome the clutter often found in busy family homes. The wall panels under the handrail open with touch latch hardware to elegantly utilize storage room under the stairs.” – Wanda Ely Architect

Photographs Courtesy of Drew Mandel Architects

“The Wine Room was designed as a feature for the base of a grand residential stair, in a lower foyer which acts as the entrance to an entertaining space. The curves define a circulation path through the foyer and make reference to detailing and forms throughout the larger project.” – Drew Mandel Architects

Photographs Courtesy of Drew Mandel Architects

“The curved glass is a feature wall of bottles. The various-colored glass is highlighted with LED lighting through acid-etched glass panels and display shelving. The laser-cut painted steel racking is a free-standing object within the glass enclosure.” – Drew Mandel Architects

The most problematic about wine is storage. It needs to be stored at a room with constant mild temperature. However, that means that the best place for a wine cellar would be in the basement. As a wine lover myself, that’s a big no-no. If I were to own good wines, I would want my family and friends to be able to experience it both visually and taste-wise. The above two architects showed that it is possible to create that balance, where the wine is easily seen and stored at a good temperature.

Want to learn more? Go to Wanda Ely Architect & Drew Mandel Architects to see more of their work.

Researched and Written by Silvialy Tjhin, Master of Architecture Candidate at University of Toronto