Cooper’s Workshop, Erdőbénye

Design study

The village is one of the oldest settlements in the Lower Tokaj region, and it’s still among the region’s renowned locations. The village boasts a lot of wine cellars offering wine tasting. There is an old saying: “The good, robust wine, the Tokaj aszú, needs healthy, robust barrels.” [Tokaj aszú is one of the world’s pre-eminent desert wines.] Along with wine growing, barrel making and the cooper’s profession have enjoyed great respect to this very day. The steps of the original “cooper’s dance” have been taught by fathers to sons through countless generations in Erdőbénye, a tradition unique in the world. It is proudly performed at the annual Coopers’ Festival.

The design study explores different options to expand and modernise the cooper’s workshop in Erdőbénye. At the same time it asks questions about the balance between architectural heritage and following traditions, and the use of modern technology and a change of scale.

Design: 2016