Earlier this week, the third chapter of ‘The Dalmore Luminary Series,’ which shines a light on the worlds of whisky making artistry and architectural design, was launched in the Venetian Arsenal ahead of this year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Ben Dobbin of Foster + Partners has designed a unique bronze sculpture that houses a limited-edition single malt whisky aged 52 years – ‘The Rare’ – for the project. He collaborated with The Dalmore’s Master Whisky Makers to create ‘The Rare’ and ‘The Collectible,’ which is a single malt whisky aged 17 years. The sculpture and ‘The Rare’ will be auctioned at Sotheby’s from 7-16 May, with all proceeds going to V&A Dundee.
Ben Dobbin, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, said: “It has been a great privilege to work on this one-of-a-kind project with The Dalmore. Visiting their distillery in Alness and experiencing the breathtaking landscape, which is an integral part of the whisky-making process, was the starting point for the design. This distinctive topography directly informs the sculpture’s oscillating form, which has been carefully refined over time, much like the distilling process.”
The sculpture embodies a sense of balance that is inherent to nature, art and architecture. Responding to the landscape of the Scottish Highlands, as well as the complex flavour profile of the single malt, the alternating peaks and troughs envelop and raise up the whisky bottle.
Following the principle of tensegrity, the sculpture references the great engineering traditions of Scotland, such as the Forth Bridge. It is CNC crafted in bronze, with invisible joints and brass support rods for robustness. The bottle rests gently upon a ring of Scottish Brown Oak that is sourced from one of the distillery sites.
A replica of the sculpture will soon be on display at V&A Dundee, as part of their permanent collection.
