Elizabeth Spencer Tasting Room

Elizabeth Spencer Tasting Room

An abandoned brick post office, dating back to 1872, was proposed to be the new tasting room for Elizabeth Spencer wines. The project called for restoration and retrofit of the old brick building, as well as the design of a new tasting-room facility with a kitchen and restroom. The structural building materials were kept in place without expanding the footprint, combining sustainability with preservation. Working within the original masonry shell, Paul Kelley Architecture exposed the interior brick surfaces and opened the ceiling to the framing above. The installed steel cross-brace supports were placed at the old ceiling line to create a sense of more space overhead. Across from the Rutherford Grill, the new tasting room has attracted quite a bit of notoriety and foot traffic, to the client’s delight.

photos by Michael Hospelt

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