Bombay Sapphire Distillery

The gin maker Bombay Sapphire bet on Laverstoke Mill in rural Hampshire, in the south of England, as the new company’s distillery, headquarters and visitor centre; a conservation area with over 1000 years of history. 

The distillery showcases the care, skill and artistry behind every drop of Bombay Sapphire and allows visitors to discover the flavours of the botanicals which make Bombay Sapphire gin so unique. 

The remodelling that brought to life this unique Corporate Building, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, it’s a good example on how a glass and steel structure can communicate the story of a company and its values.

Every detail of this amazing building speaks about the character and the charisma of Bombay Sapphire gin.

Beyond Standard Glasshouses as an experience 

When Heatherwick Studio, designer of its refurbishment, presented us the project we were immediately thrilled. Bellapart Team was up to the task to make a reality the beautiful bespoke and beyond standards design of two intertwining glasshouses structures freestanding and sitting in the water. 

On the inside, each Glasshouse is simulating a different climate condition, tropical and Mediterranean, making it able to grow the different plants needed in the recipe to infuse the flavour, otherwise impossible in the British climatic conditions. A creative and sustainable solution. 

Visitors who walk through this glass structure can feel the sensation of stepping into the deepest and most intense aromas of one of the world's most iconic gins. 

The aim of this project was to offer an architectural solution that could provide that experience: a dialogue with the key elements of the product that is made in the Bombay Sapphire distillery.

Much more than Glass Façades in Bombay Sapphire Distillery

The glass surface of each house is an extruded circular pleated form. From the base it extends vertically upwards, then it bends and narrows towards the adjacent building. 

As it narrows, the circular pleated form transforms into a rectangular shape. The glass works as a main structural element in this ultra-lightweight stainless steel structure. 

Extended constructive design by in-house geometric experts, engineering and Multiphysics analysis alongside prototyping and constant testing were the key to accomplish the optimum shop drawings so the fabrication and installation internal team could bring this piece to a beautiful and safe completion. 

Bombay Sapphire Distillery bespoke glasshouses were an ambitious challenge for Bellapart achieved with an outstanding result. Recognized by the Society of Façade Engineering in their International Awards for Façade Engineering Excellence, winners of the Project Of the Year: Outstanding Façade Innovation 2015