METSÄ WOOD
STILL STUNNING THE MACALLAN DISTILLERY
01 An integral part of the undulating wooden roof structure at The Macallan Distillery is Kerto LVL (laminated veneer lumber). Fast, light and sustainable, it helped deliver a hugely successful award-winning project that has drawn praise from construction and whisky enthusiasts from all over the world. In 2018 The Macallan Distillery got a new home – a stunning contemporary building combining an undulating wooden roof with glass and steel with many elements fully-prefabricated. The Macallan Distillery in Craigellachie, Speyside, Scotland is a stunning sight. From far above on the hillside,
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you see five domes, resting under a living meadow roof. As you get closer, the unique undulating wooden roof structure is revealed. LVL is an essential part of the wooden roof structure, as Kerto LVL Q-panels and S-beams are used as cheeks on both sides of the glulam beams and Q-panels in the roof decks. Kerto LVL S-beams can also be found outside on the service road. The construction of the Macallan Distillery took only six months. It was a carefully co-ordinated operation with the roof containing some 3,600 beams and 2,500 roof panels. The building is an immersive experience: three still houses and a mash house with a common roof and fully glazed wall. This reflects the wishes of The Macallan Distillery – a worldrenowned brand – whose single malt whisky production dates back to 1824. The goal was a contemporary facility, celebrating style, authenticity and honesty.
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Architectural principles “The Macallan Distillery wanted to have a production facility whose capacity could be added to if required. That led us to start the work from the idea of a production module,” says Toby Jeavons, Project Architect at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. “Enthusiasts can see how whisky is produced, because the machinery can be viewed from the fully-glazed immersive experience area. The architecture elevates the beautiful copper stills into something special. “We wanted to celebrate the honesty of the materials rather than hide the roof structure with a ceiling. Wood is a nice counterpoint to the engineered, faceted roof structure, which consists of flat cassette panels and straight beams. Kerto LVL S-beams and Q-panels are an integral part of the structure of each beam, because they contribute to the overall dimensions. Every beam has the same dimension. We also achieve a contemporary aesthetic by using Kerto LVL, which has an omni-directional surface.”
