7,000 square meters of operational facilities in a little more than two years. A step forward in market competitiveness is Bodegas Protos effort. Making virtue of necessity this ambitious project will allow them to complement as well as to enlarge the capacity of major winery located at Peñafiel. At the moment this winery is unable to hold the whole wine production, approximately 3 millions bottles per year, improve wine quality and brand image, according to Teotimo San José, the Company Manager. Opening a tunnel from underground By investing 12 millions euros Protos will start on a winery linked to current winery by a tunnel opened from the underground. Being a new complex yet Mr. San Jose prefers to consider it as “one more section –the most important, of course- of the same winery” Bodegas Protos is eager to renovate its image and has hired a prestigious British architect, Richard Rogers in charge of designing. He is, already working in collaboration with architect studio in Catalonia Alonso Balaguer y Asocidos on the preliminary plan of one the most ambitious construction work ever executed in Ribera del Duero area and Spanish area wine-related. Pending of results of certain administrative proceedings both preliminary plan and project’s stages are established to be concluded in five or six months period, and construction work will begin then. Bodegas Protos’s Manager figures that subsequent execution period will last “between 16 and 20 months, nevertheless some changes”. 

Therefore the new complex will be working in a little over two years period. “A new kid in town “ in winery design Mr. San José Underlined the relevance of having an architect as Rogers joining Bodegas Protos, who “lacks of experience in winery design but is a worldwide renown architect and only commits himself with those projects attractive to him “ According to his opinion wine sales not only increase by preserving and improving wine quality but “it has a lot to do with brand image and this is one of our major objectives”. Recently economic agreement between Rogers and Bodegas Protos has been reached after British architect’s visit to the winery. On visiting the winery Rogers was delighted of the challenge possibilities and approved the project. One more time Agroindus is in charge to perform engineering and robotics system, common collaborator in major enlargements implemented by Protos during last years. . A great social building The new complex, a total of 17.000 square meters of area between main floor and underground, will include a social building that comprises an assembly room, dining room, boardroom, wine tasting room, offices, and function suite. Apart from this there will be other building named “botellero”. This building will hold a shipping room in which interior there are a bottler and a nave used as stainless steel vat. A cellar with French wood cones occupies the space left.

Still there is to add up 10.000 square meters of landscaped area that reaches the plot limits own by this company. Protos’s current facilities count with a medieval cellar subject of a number of projects. The projects were carried out in order to increase the space destined to production as well as to improve the technical equipment. However none of previous projects are of this magnitude. Crianza: the number one Given the possible increase of production due to facilities enlargement, the manager of Bodegas Protos aim is “to maintain good quality wines”. However the investment does not imply a significant increase of bottle production, “perhaps, a redistribution”- he pointed out-. To be exact, Mr. San Jose explained that Protos’s commitment is “to increase total production of crianza and reduce total production of young wines, according to the market demand” In this sense he assures that future belongs to crianza, demanded by more experienced customs with great knowledge of wines LORD ROGERS OF RIVERSIDE “TRACE” Richard Rogers is considered one of the most prestigious architect of the world proclaimed as “Lord Rogers of Riverside”. He has designed the future and modernist terminal of Barajas Airport, currently under construction. Probably the most famous construction work of whom has shared once an architect studio together with Norman Foster may be the Parisian Pompidou Centre, designed in collaboration with Renzo Piano and a Cúpula do Milenio placed at the bank of Thames in London.

Richard Rogers is the creator of “high tech” trend. This trend defends the concept of a building as a machine serving high technology. This architect is known to have built also prestigious buildings as Lloyd’s Reuters and Channel 4 in London (1986, 1987 and 1990), “The Court for Human Rights” in Strasbourg, the enlargement work of Marsella (1989), Magistrature School in Bordeaux (1994). Now days he is working on an innovative hotel in Barcelona “Hespederia Hotel”. Also he is considering to advice British prime minister, Tony Blair, from Urban Task Force, constituted by Tony Blair’s government to revitalize British cities. 

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 RIBA Awards. RIBA Awards for architectural excellence will be presented across the country today with 103 buildings in the UK and Europe winning awards (97 in the UK and six in the rest of the EU).

Six European schemes have been honoured, including Richard Rogers’ headquarters ...

Conde Nast Traveller announces the winners of its third annual Innovation and Design Awards, held once again in association with Marriott Hotels & Resorts. Presented at a special ceremony held on the evening of Monday 27th April at Renaissance Chancery Court London, High Holborn, the evening was hosted by Sarah Miller, Editor of Conde Nast Traveller.

GOURMET A solid conflation ...

PROTOS, committed to offer wines of singular personality and quality, has launched on the market its Crianza and Reserva wines in 1.5 litres Magnum size.

 Source: Wine Advocate # 183 Jun 2009

Reviewer: Jay Miller

Rating: 90

Maturity: Drink: 2011 - 2021

Current (Release) Cost: $75 (75)

 The purple-colored 2006 Seleccion has an aromatic array of toasty new oak, mineral, lavender, incense, and black cherry. On the palate it has a plush texture, the best balance of these three wines, and plenty of ripe ...