An immense open wooden barrel over the green mountains of Belo Horizonte. This is the scenario designed by the GPA&A;A office, by architect Gustavo Penna, to host the Ateliê Wäls, a large brewery center surrounded by nature, in the Olhos d'Agua neighborhood, south of the capital of Minas Gerais. Opened in early June, the complex has a restaurant, shop, office, wine cellar, brewery and an outdoor area for food trucks. The proposal is to be a center of innovation in the sector, in addition to promoting the meeting between friends and offering the experimentation of special craft beers. “It's a playful and fun project, which shows the union of architecture and beer in a magical way”, says Gustavo. 

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In the interior of the brewery, there is a large counter in reddish color, in reference to the celebrated English style India Pale Ale, and a large shelf full of bottles specially developed for the project. Sets of tasting tables were distributed among hundreds of wooden barrels that frame and divide the spaces. In this, which is one of the largest barrel rooms in the country dedicated to the aging of beers, more than 100 thousand liters of the drink age and ferment, each label in its own time. All this under a large curtain delicately made with 135 thousand cork stoppers that evokes a theatrical atmosphere. 

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Ateliê Wäls was born through a partnership between Ambev and Wäls, recently elected by RateBeer, the main beer ranking in the world, the best brewery in Brazil. The idea came in 2015 when the brothers and founders of the Minas Gerais brewery, José Felipe and Tiago Carneiro, had the opportunity to travel the world in search of news in the segment. “We had access to technology and professionals of the beer market, in addition to exclusive ingredients, technical knowledge for new products and investment capacity”, says Tiago. Ateliê Wäls offers 21 beer taps for tasting, with some exclusive options, produced right there and served from the tap to harmonize with the dishes that come out of the kitchen. 

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Architecture

Gustavo Penna, Laura Penna, Norberto Bambozzi, Ada Penna, Alice Lei Flores, Eduardo Magalhães, Fernanda Tolentino, Gabriel de Souza, Henrique Neves, Julia Lins, Letícia Carneiro, Naiara Costa, Oded Stahl, Patrícia Gonçalves, Paula Sallum, Raquel de Resende

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Management and Planning

Rísia Botrel, Isabela Tolentino, Taimara Araújo

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Place

Belo Horizonte – Minas Gerais – Brazil

 

Technical Data
Project year: 2016

Year of completion of the work: 2017
Built area: 1,856m²

Photos
Daniel Mansur