Slane Distillery

Sitting within the 250-year-old Capability Brown designed stables of the iconic Slane Castle estate lies Slane Distillery, the most beautiful distillery in Ireland. Working with the Brown Forman family, Kentucky whiskey makers since 1870, and the Conyngham family who have been resident at Slane Castle since 1701, I was part of a team that transformed the derelict stable block into a state of the art distillery.

Due to the nature of the historical site and its setting within the heart of the Boyne Valley care and consideration was required on every aspect of the project. The materials palette was considered at a very early stage to tie in with the 18th Century buildings and the surrounding estate lands. The signage and wayfinding system was developed using black powder coated steel combined with European larch to age over time and settle within the landscape. The copper stills were reflected through the graphical elements within the distillery. Etching into materials as opposed to simply printing or adding vinyls was key to our philosophy. Each piece needed to be tactile and informative, so visitors could touch the fabric of the building as much as the interpretation and discover a single language of form and function.

The resulting deeply engrained graphic language of modern interpretation applied through materials sits comfortably within this historic building.