The Shout Magazine (New Zealand)

New Martinborough cellar door shortlisted for architecture award

Martinborough’s newest cellar door has been shortlisted for the NZIA Wellington Architecture Awards.

After thirty years in the business, Jay Short and Peg Dupey – owners of Nga Waka – created an immersive cellar door wine experience for their customers, and visitors to the region. 

The architecturally-designed building was the creation of Victoria Read of Aspect Architecture, built by Holmes Construction with landscape architecture by Hamish Moorhead. 

“We took inspiration from the legend behind the brand name, the great Māori explorer Kupe –  the range of hills to the South East of Martinborough named Ngā Waka-a-Kupe and Ngā-rā-o-Kupe in the South (The sails of Kupe),” says Read.

“The soaring roofline of the cellar door is representative of the sail of Kupe – it opens up above the solidity of the building (the canoe) to let the light in and to give a nod to the Remutaka ranges.

“We have used a lot of timber and carefully crafted design elements in the building to emphasise and acknowledge the hand crafted yet complex nature of the Nga Waka wines.” 

The cellar door opened in October last year and is nestled amongst the vines and surrounding hills.

For more information on Nga Waka, click here.

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