Nestled atop the mountain slopes above the village of Kalopanagiotis in Cyprus the newly constructed Lampadistis Wine Distillery now stands immortalising the winemaking heritage of the island, one which dates back almost 6,000 years.

Conceptualised by the architectural firm of Eraclis Papachristou, and brought to life over five years, the new landmark takes inspiration from the three churches of the St John the Baptist monastery below; now a UNESCO world heritage site.

Notably the church of St Ioannis Lampadistis from which the enterprise takes not only its name, but aspects of its form.

Photo: Supplied by Nick Hufton/Hufton & Crow

As one of the first places architects from the firm visited while researching the project, the linear arrangement of the churches and their central worship halls or ‘naves’ mirror the plan of the three production areas spread across the winery.

Bearing a visual similarity to the stone hewn cells of the ancient churches, its almost as if the monastery is pantomimed from the hills above.

They say this choice reinforces the context of the building’s location overlooking the town below and its churches, a “ceremonial winery” harkening back to a local history which began 800 years ago.

The oldest of the three churches below is Agios Irakleidos, built in the 11th century.

Photo: Supplied by Nick Hufton/Hufton & Crow

Its ancient wooden templon, the barrier separating an orthodox church’s nave from its sanctuary, is adorned with not only Byzantine eagles, but the ‘Lusignian lion’; a heraldic remnant of the French noble house which ruled the island in the years following the fourth crusade.

The winery’s construction however, while informed by the past is unmistakably modern, brutalist even.

With foundations and a structural design of ‘béton brut’ or raw concrete, its overall shape is more akin to the monolithic structures of antiquity than the churches of a rural medieval village.

Its ceiling, which spans the entirety of the three chambers in a continuous arrangement, just as the three churches which inspired it lie beneath one roof, was put together from reclaimed timber salvaged from the wildfires which wracked the island several years ago.

The façade elicits a shimmer resembling copper in the evening light, enclosing an observation walkway that weaves around the central mass providing panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Photo: Supplied by Nick Hufton/Hufton & Crow

Without a doubt impressive, spanning 4,200 square metres, the project came to fruition at the cost of €6 million (about AUD$9.4 million or US$6.4 million) to complete, and is also home to a gourmet restaurant and conference centre that will host wine tastings and private events throughout the year.

Its three central buildings aligned in series like the churches below are dedicated to fermentation, aging and bottling respectively.

Within them hide the state-of-the-art machinery needed to fuel a winemaking operation befitting the project’s scale; the beating heart of an otherwise imposing exterior.

Having reached acclaim since its unveiling, it received Cyprus’ 2022 architecture state prize, the architects behind it noting “It draws attention unto itself. Even so, at its core, there is a regionalism in its architectural detailing and materiality.”

Housing function and multi-purpose rooms alongside its production facilities, the new addition to the mountain scape of Kalopanagiotis seems poised to become a hub for business interests and tourists alike.