Bodegas Ysios

The Ysios bodega in La Rioja Alavesa, the stunning winemaking facility nestles in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria mountain range – the peaks mirrored in the undulations of the bodega. Named after the Egyptian goddess of magic, who oversaw the conversion of grapes into wine; this producer has blessed consumers with an excellently balanced Reserva wine. The building is conceived as an element that is integrated into the powerful surrounding landscape, while being somewhat autonomous at the same time, as a site-specific sculpture. The site is uneven, with pronounced grade changes of as much as 10 meters from the highest levels in the north, to the lowest in the south. About half of the site is occupied by vineyards. Calatrava adopted the strategy of giving a volumetric treatment to the roof and walls - physical limits of the landscape outside and the winery within - so that continuity between the two spaces is achieved through the "static movement" of the enclosures.