​Komoro Distillery     Komoro, Nagano, Japan

This is a whisky distillery with a visitor centre built at the foot of Mount Asama, which is blessed with water resources. The aim is to create a new ecosystem for the region. Through the production and dissemination of whisky unique to this land, the distillery aims to contribute to resource recycling, environmental conservation and sustainable development of the region. The architecture follows the philosophy of the whisky production aimed at here, avoiding ornamentation and carefully examining each element in its own right. The building was created to make the most of the appeal of the materials, treating steel as steel, concrete as concrete and wood as wood, on an undulating floor, under one roof, where whisky production and experience coexist. The distillery side, which is a showcase for the distilling equipment, and the visitor centre side, where visitors are greeted by huge eaves covered with local larch, offer different atmospheres.

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