Sauska Tokaj

Sauska Tokaj winery is located in the UNESCO protected wine region of Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary. The light shape of the building hovering above the vineyards blends delicately into the protected landscape, while its breathtaking appearance greatly contributes to the tourism development of the wine region.

For many centuries the iconic wine of the region was the aszú, a dessert wine aged in oak barrels. During the long decades of Hungarian socialism, the mass production of wine was the norm. However, after the political transition the wine region finally began to develop. From 2000, new modern wineries appeared, tourism also started to emerge but the infrastructure of the region is not entirely developed yet. The aim of Sauska Tokaj winery is to show the world how special and diverse the vibrant energy of Tokaj wines are. The architectural brief of the project was to create an eye-catching, modern winery, focusing mostly on fresh, dry white wines and champagnes, that has a space for hospitality and gastronomy as well. The location of the project is the hilly area around the most important settlements of the wine region. The architectural concept was inspired by the “untouched untouchable” - the view of undulating vineyards. The aim was to make the building appear like a gentle form floating above the landscape. On the top of the southern slopes of Padi Hill we can see two, 36 diameter, intersecting lenses. These are the above-ground masses of the building, which are freely accessible to the visitors. The operational areas, that require constant temperature and a larger space, are under the ground. In the impressive, circular fermentation rooms the steel tanks are arranged in concentric circles, in the middle of which lies the wooden barrel aging area. The restaurant and bar functions are in the lens-shaped masses, which are lifted above the fermentation areas by bundles of steel columns. The lenses seem to float in the landscape, which is further highlighted by the sunlight gliding on to the surface of their lower shell. The visitor entrance is hidden behind the lenses, embedded into the sloping terrain so the view of the sculpture-like shapes can make an undisturbed impact. A wide walking path leads from the parking area to the building, from which the most valuable vineyards of the region can be admired. In front of the building there is a small space that continues into the lobby, from here a corridor illuminated by a skylight leads to the consumer areas and the panorama terrace. The high, curved spaces of the restaurant and the bar gradually narrow into a modulor size (2,26m) therefore when one steps outside the vastness of the landscape can make an elemental impression. The operational functions like pressing, bottling and labelling are arranged in a rectangular shape and connected to the fermentation areas. The arrival of grapes and the shipment of finished goods take place through a tunnel running along the longitudinal axis of the building, like a massive built-in turbine, which also serves as a space for