Neri&Hu has designed A Duality: The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery in Yansi Village, China.

This project is an exemplification of the Chinese concept of duality – an opportunity to create timeless architecture that speaks to the core values of a young but visionary brand, along with the cultural heritage it aspires to sustain.

Neri&Hu designed both a distillery and a home for Pernod Ricard's very first whisky in China. Surrounded by a winding creek with Emei peak as its backdrop, the project promotes the contrasting concept of Shan-Shui.

Shan-Shui translates as "mountain water" – where "Shan" represents strength and permanence, while "Shui" represents fluidity and transformation – indicating two opposing yet complementary forces, much like the distillery itself.

Architecturally, the project balances duality in many ways – with industrial buildings as a modern interpretation of vernacular Chinese architecture, while the visitor buildings are juxtaposed with elemental geometries grounded in the terrain.

This project has been longlisted in the cultural building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Designer: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Project: A Duality: The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery