Liknon is a winery located in a 100-year-old vineyard on the Greek island of Samos: an intervention developed by K-Studio for Metaxa, a brand founded in 1888 by merchant Spyros Metaxas that produces, in particular, liqueurs and sweet muscat wine. The vineyard extends below the village of Vourliotes, 800 metres above the sea level, on a sequence of stone terraces distributed along the valley. “Rather than a building, it is a landscape, where the visitor wanders around and under the vines’ birthplace, submerges underground in order to get in touch with the history of the brand through an interactive experience and a series of sensory activations”, the architects explain to Ouvert.
The project takes shape between the stone walls following the topography, not invading the site but proposing a path of emotional experiences that describes the brand’s past and philosophy. A journey that winds through three different independent structures that tell different and ancient stories: the first – a reference to the Greek word Topos (place) – is located on level -1 and, equipped with a glass wall, allows visitors to observe the terrain as if they were in a museum; the second, developed from the idea of Chronos (time), is the cellar, where the barrels are located and wine tasting takes place. Metaxa Bar, on the other hand, is the area for relaxing and experiencing spirits, with an outdoor terrace and a pergola. “Showcasing not only the origins of Metaxa, but also the continuation and expansion of its production circle beyond its limits”, the project preserves the spontaneity and materiality of the landscape to discover the entire wine production process.
