The Ysios winery is housed in a building designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, next to the Cantabrian mountains in the Rioja Alavesa region. It was built to blend harmoniously with the landscape.
The building, which was officially opened in 2001, is supported by 2 load-bearing reinforced concrete walls which are 85 feet apart. The walls are sheathed in vertical wooden slats that have been treated with copper salts, whose shapes form a sine wave, surrounding the building and evoking the image of a row of barrels. The roof is made from wooden beams that are supported by the side walls, creating a wavy surface. The external layer is made from aluminum, which contrasts with the wooden walls. The winery’s interior is similarly cutting-edge in its design, complementing the exterior.