Above the Basque town of Elciego, Frank Gehry has hit the heavens
again. This time, his proposed new hotel for Rioja, the winemakers,
is a masterly symphony of movement and mystique. One-third of the
budget is funded by the Basque government. Close to Santiago de
Compostela, this masterpiece will give a new meaning to pilgrimage
in the architectural sense. Gehry has been presented with wine to
the tune of a 1929 vintage, which so happens to be the year of his
birth. The link between architecture and wine is borne out. The
actual colours in a bottle of red wine are picked up by a pink tone
reflected in the metal structure. Silver, for the billowing roof
cladding, reflects the foil that caps the cork on each bottle. Gehry's
work also reflects the landscape contours surrounding the site more
fully than on any previous building. The building is a synthesis
of Gehry with the Basque landscape, and its product, a world-famous
wine. This special affinity suggests that there may even be a third
Gehry vintage in Northern Spain, not just a third glass to toast
the collaboration.