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photo of Mission Hill Family Estate
Photo: Paul Warchol

Mission Hill Family Estate

West Kelowna, Canada

Mission Hill Family Estate

West Kelowna, Canada

  • Design Principal

    Tom Kundig

Situated on a prominent hill rising above the floor of the Okanagan Valley, the Mission Hill Winery is a 120,000-square-foot complex of buildings designed to transform the visitor. As visitors pass through the welcoming entry arches, they enter a world dedicated to wine. A Wine Education Center with a small theater anchors the visitor experience. An outdoor loggia, amphitheater and vineyard terrace provide breathtaking views of the lake and valley below. A 12-story bell tower is the focal point of the courtyard. The design, consciously serene, eschews festival-like architecture in favor of a timeless, monastic quality.

On the exterior, earth-toned concrete give the building forms an understated, contemporary aesthetic. The buildings surround a central courtyard and amphitheater. Inside the buildings, the visitor is embraced by quiet, cool, and dimly lit spaces. The belltower—an 85-foot-high viewing tower—rises above the courtyard affording incredible views of the valley and becomes a signature for the winery itself. Dramatic underground cave cellars highlight the winemaking education tour, media center, boutique and tasting areas. Exterior courtyards and gardens provide space for picnicking.

In addition to general visitor areas, there are VIP areas that include special reception/banquet halls and tasting areas. Guest quarters for VIPs are set in the vineyards to reinforce the connections to wine and the process of winemaking. Parking and site circulation is located in such a way as to separate their presence from the arrival sequence. Business offices, a winemakers lab, and commercial kitchens for banquet and events catering round out the program.

Team

Photo: Brian Sprout
Photo: Brian Sprout
Photo: Brian Sprout

Publications

2020

“Design Giants with Tom Kundig, Hosted by Cindy Allen.” Interior Design Magazine / DesignTV by SANDOW, 1 Jun. 2020. Web.

Molinari, Luca and Anja Visini. The World Winery Collection: Innovative design, sustainability and the landscape. Florence: Forma Edizioni, 2020, x208-215. Book.

 

2018

“Mission Hill Family Estate / Olson Kundig.” ArchDaily, 27 Dec. 2018. Web.  

Sasvari, Joanne. “Wine by design.” Vitis Magazine, 28 Sept. 2018. Web.

Sasvari, Joanne. “Wine by design.” Vitis Magazine, Fall/Winter 2018, 4, 22-25. Print.

Stewart, Anita. “Anita Stewart’s Canada File: The Terrace at Mission Hill Winery.” Everett Potter’s Travel Report, 13 Aug. 2018. Web.

Tobler, Jim. “Building a Legacy.” Absolute Okanagan, Oct. 2018, 56, 58, 60. Print.

Tobler, Jim. “Building a Legacy.” Absolute Okanagan, 25 Sept. 2018. Web.

Welton, J. Michael. “Shelter.” Ocean Home Magazine, April 2018, 16-18, 20, 22, 24. Print.