Visitors winding north along the Tasman Highway on Tasmania’s scenic East Coast would be familiar with the Cherry Tree Hill lookout. Shortly after Cranbrook, a corridor of eucalypts and scrub parts to reveal the stunning first glimpse of the iconic granite mountains of the Freycinet Peninsula jutted above Moulting Lagoon. The lure of the view is irresistible with visitors quickly swerving across the blind corner and skidding to a stop along the narrow verge for the irresistible photo opportunity.

In the foreground of the panorama are the lush green blocks of one of Tasmania’s largest vineyards, Devil’s Corner, and its cellar door. Reopened in November 2015, this project for Brown Brothers seeks to simultaneously make safe and amplify the experience of this iconic view to create a new tourism experience on the East Coast of Tasmania. Associated with this is a series of complimentary food experiences forming a local market and providing a backdrop for seasonal events.

The Cellar Door and Lookout were designed as a loose collection of timber clad buildings that, through similar aesthetic and material treatment, form a modern interpretation of traditional farm/rural settlements that gather over time. The Cellar Door & food market have been collected around a courtyard space which allows shelter and respite from the surrounding environment while allowing views through the tasting space to the Hazards beyond and access to open deck spaces.

Through the careful placement of a series of timber-clad shipping containers, visitors are invited to visually explore the landscape within and around the vineyard through curated framed views. The lookout element is a critical component of the design, not only in providing a visual signifier for the settlement but also as a way of interpreting the landscape from which the Devil’s Corner wines originate. In the same way that an appreciation of wine can be gained through understanding its subtleties and varying ‘in-mouth’ sensations, there are many ways landscape can be appreciated. The lookout plays with this idea. The three distinct spaces reference different and unique views of the site – firstly the SKY, then the HORIZON and lastly the TOWER which winds its way upward providing views to each of the compass points before culminating in an elevated and expansive view of the bay.

By creating a dynamic scenic lookout and providing associated facilities, visitors are drawn to a new upgraded cellar door for the Devil’s Corner wine label.

The project won the 2016 Tasmanian Architecture Awards: Colin Philp Award for Commercial Architecture, and the Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, and was recognised at the 2016 National Architecture Awards with a National Commendation for Commercial Architecture. Devil’s Corner was also selected as a jury winner in the 5th Annual Architizer A+ Awards in the Commercial Mixed-Use category, as well as being awarded the Property Development Award (Tasmania) at the 2016 API Excellence in Property Awards.

LocationApslawn, Tasmania
ClientBrown Brothers
Year2015
Status Completed

Photography: Tanja Milbourne