Sleep Over the Vineyards: Red Clay Bricks Decorate a Wine Tourism Apartment in La Rioja
A historic family inn transformed into a luxury apartment uses our red clay bricks as a perfect decorative element
The extraordinary bioclimatic applications of fired clay are something we frequently talk about (and advocate for), but we’re especially excited when we come across projects that also highlight the aesthetic qualities and possibilities of this wonderful material. In this case, we’re referring to the red brick murals that the Bilbao-based studio Verno has placed in a very special renovation.
We found our 40×10 red-toned bricks on the walls of a luxury apartment. At first glance, in the photos, it appears to be an out-of-context home, but when you least expect it, a clear view of a sunlit vineyard emerges through a small window. Then, all the choices make much more sense: the color palette that follows the earth tones of a winery, the materials that evoke and demand respect for the natural environment, the skylights that flood the space with Rioja’s light…
As can be read in all the press releases that have referred to the renovation of their wine tourism apartments, Ostatu is the name of the winery that houses these apartments, and “ostatu” means shelter, lodging, or tavern in Basque. Part of the architectural complex that houses the winery and has served as a family home for years is a historic inn that travelers heading north have known for centuries. Now, the family has transformed this inn into luxury apartments to offer a unique wine tourism experience.
Red Clay Bricks as a Chromatic Reference Point
Ostatu is the winery that the Sáenz de Samaniego family has been defending for generations in Rioja Alavesa. Over the years, they have positioned themselves not only as one of the most representative names in the region but also as a local wine tourism reference.
In the successful renovation of their apartments, there are hardly any right angles. All the corners, both of the walls and furniture, are rounded, perhaps recalling the soft shapes of bottles and the flow of the deep red liquid that brings visitors here. This reminder is not only in the forms: as we have said, it is also in the color and material choices. And this is where we bring up our 40×10 red clay rectangular bricks. Verno has placed them alternating with a backdrop of fibers that resemble reed in rectangular panels, framed by a strip of hidden LED lights around the edges that bathe the material in warm light.
The result is that the red clay bricks become the chromatic accent of the space. The color of these bricks not only reminds us of the Rioja terroir where the vines grow but also brings to mind wood, especially with this very particular lighting, reminding us once again that we are here because of the alchemy that happens inside the barrels.
Our congratulations to those who signed the project for having recognized the meaning that a few rows of fired clay placed on a wall can convey. It’s a beautiful renovation.
