The Paris office led by the French Philippe Barthélémy and the Uruguayan Sylvia Griño won the 2016 competition to extend the Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain, in the Highlands of Scotland.

The two new industrial buildings have transformed how the place looks. Combining tradition and modernity, the two interconnected volumes are integrated into the landscape around the producer of malt whisky founded in 1843. The one that stands out, 20 meters tall, took inspiration from the lighthouses that used to guide ships along the Dornoch Firth. This glass tower harbors the two largest stills in Scotland, and also a laboratory for creating and tasting on the top floor level, offering stunning views over the North Sea. Inside, wooden panels echo casks where old whisky develops its flavor.

A lower building completes the new facilities, connecting with the original constructions through a stone cladding. The extension is fed by biogas generated by the distillation process.

The care taken with details of the ‘lighthouse’ is a tribute to the region’s exceptional savoir-faire and becomes a symbol of a distillery that in turn is a benchmark for Scottish whisky.