Vertical Panorama Pavilion at the Donum Estate
Studio Other Spaces – Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann

The Donum Estate, one of the leading California Pinot Noir producers, inaugurates Vertical Panorama Pavilion, a space dedicated to tasting wine, enabling a contextual and unique encounter between senses and surroundings. The pavilion is designed by the Berlin-based office Studio Other Spaces, founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Sebastian Behmann through their shared interest in spatial experimentation. The canopy shelters a dedicated hospitality venue, forming a focal point of The Donum Estate, while providing a scenic panoramic view of the San Pablo Bay, its Carneros Estate vineyards and The Donum Collection, comprising some 50 works of site specific-sculpture and works of art.

Inspired by the history of circular calendars, the conical canopy is centered on a northern oriented oculus and glazed with 832 colored laminated glass panels depicting yearly averages of the four meteorological parameters at the Estate – solar radiance, wind intensity, temperature, and humidity. The glass panels consist of 24 colors in variations of translucent and transparent hues, which resonate colors of the local environment in the Sonoma Valley. Vertical Panorama Pavilion is a synergy of art and architecture that manifests Studio Other Spaces’ vision of designing public spaces through interdisciplinary and experimental methodologies. Wine tasting experience and other hospitality events will be hosted at the newly launched pavilion. It is a significant addition to the development of the Estate’s bespoke architectural experiences, which includes a state-of-the-art production facility and hospitality center, Donum Home; and a white cube conservation space that houses Crouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois.

Mei and Allan Warburg, Owners of The Donum Estate, said: “This pavilion perfectly blends our passions between wine, nature and art, design, and architecture. It is an achievement of our continuous effort to enhance the sensorial discovery of sight, sound, and scent experiences for all our guests. We first walked the land in 2019 with Olafur. The sun gave contrast to a spectrum of colours, we took a sip of our Pinot Noir, and at that moment, Vertical Panorama Pavilion was born. The pavilion finishes at a perfect time, as the vines bear their fruit. We are honored by the gift of the land and acknowledge we are temporary custodians of these historic and fertile lands of Sonoma. The Estate is blooming; our lavender field, cutting garden, greenhouse and our 50 monumental artworks grace the spaces in between. We are grateful to all the talented artists we have brought together as part of The Donum Collection. Through our shared passion for sustainability, we thank our friends Olafur and Sebastian for realizing Donum’s participation in the natural world.” Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann, founders of Studio Other Spaces added: “Vertical Panorama Pavilion is a hospitable space, which celebrates the exceptional wine at Donum and the microclimates that created it. 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.”

“We’re excited to unveil this landmark new pavilion inspired by Donum’s emphasis on terroir and the local environmental conditions. Donum is very much about community, and while we remain committed to producing the finest Pinot Noir in California, we also bring people together with shared passions for fine wine, cultural arts, design and sustainability. Our integrated guest experiences offer an escape from the everyday with access to a renowned global art collection, a sensorial wine tasting and opportunity to learn about our portfolio of certified organic Estate vineyards, which combined have made our Carneros Estate an international destination.” commented Angelica de Vere-Mabray, Chief Executive Officer of The Donum Estate.

THE DONUM COLLECTION: Founded in 2011, The Donum Collection is one of the largest accessible private sculpture collections in the world. More than 50 monumental works, including open-air sculptures are placed on The Donum Estate, a leader in single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma in Northern California. Dotted throughout, each piece plays with scale, nature, and imagination. This evolving collection brings together a global community of artists, including works from leading practitioners from 18 nations, across six continents including Ai Weiwei, Ghada Amer, Doug Aitken, Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, Keith Haring and Subodh Gupta. Donum brings to life a delicate balance among wine, land and art that has made it an international destination. THE DONUM ESTATE: Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, Donum’s terroir-driven wines reflect the energy and complexity of some of most celebrated regions in Northern California including the Russian River Valley, Carneros and Anderson Valley. Founded in 2001, the Donum Estate is located in the acclaimed wine region Carneros nestled between Napa and Sonoma Counties. Donum includes a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, an organic farm, a contemporary hospitality experience, and one of the largest accessible private sculpture collections in the world. Donum brings to life a delicate balance of wine, land and art that has made it an international destination. For the past two decades, sustainability has been at the forefront of the Donum Estate vision-Donum, in fact, is Latin for Gift of the land. Its biodynamic and organic farming practices create environments in which the vines can thrive and produce the highest-quality fruit as possible.

ABOUT STUDIO OTHER SPACES: Studio Other Spaces (SOS) was founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Sebastian Behmann in Berlin in 2014. The studio connects architecture and art through interdisciplinary and experimental building projects and artworks for public space. Recent projects include the design of Lyst Restaurant (2019) in Vejle’s Fjordenhus; Common sky (2019-2021), a contribution to the reinvention of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York; a permanent work of art for the 15th and 16th floor of the Morland Mixité Capitale building in Paris (2015-); and the Meles Zenawi Memorial Park (2013-21) in Addis Ababa, a campus comprising five buildings, several pavilions, and a park, conceived and built with Ethiopian partners and in collaboration with Vogt Landscape Architects. The studio’s first solo exhibition, titled The Design of Collaboration, was on display at Kunst Meran Merano Arte in South Tyrol, Italy, from September 2020 through January 2021. SOS collaborated with six co-designers to present Future Assembly, a more-than-human assembly inspired by the United Nations, as part of curator Hashim Sarkis‘ exhibition in the Central Pavilion, Biennale Architettura 2021.

more. www.thedonumestate.com