kengo kuma’s sculpture encases dalmore luminary no.1 2022
kengo kuma sculpts aging of architecture & whisky for dalmore
Kengo Kuma and The Dalmore distils the shared connection between architecture and whisky into a rare series of sculpted bottles, single malts and displays. The Japanese architect and protégé Maurizio Mucciola accentuate the values of aging in both disciplines, the respectful use of natural materials and process, and the pursuit for continued excellence over a lifetime. The Dalmore Luminary No.1 2022 edition bottles this into a rare 48-year-old malt.
For the launch of Luminary series, designboom visited the V&A Dundee to speak with Kengo Kuma and collaborators.
Kengo Kuma’s collaboration christens The Dalmore’s Luminary series created in partnership with the V&A Dundee
All images courtesy of The Dalmore
dalmore luminary design series with V&A Dundee
Kengo Kuma’s collaboration christens The Dalmore’s Luminary series created in partnership with the V&A Dundee. The three-year series releases three editions of bespoke whiskies, each with a rare and collectible version; the series also tells the stories of visionary artisans – in whisky and design – as they hone their craft. Scotland’s design museum aids the curation of luminaries from the world of design.
The series tells the stories of visionary artisans – in whisky and design – as they hone their respective crafts
The No.1 2022 edition showcases the combined skills of two masters and their protégés: Kengo Kuma and Maurizio Mucciola, and master distiller Richard Paterson and master maker Gregg Glass. The architect and master distiller co-conceived a rare 48-year-old single malt that embodies the pursuit of excellence over a lifetime for the collaborators, as the whisky is finished in casks of Scottish Tay oak and air dried Japanese oak. Only three bottles will be made, housed in a unique glass decanter created specially by the architect.
‘The collaboration was all about understanding each other. The Dalmore did not want to give Kengo Kuma a specific brief; we all wanted an organic collaboration. This has been the real beauty and charm of what we have developed. The series – its whiskies, case and sculpture – are the results of the cross-fertilisation of our ideas and experiences,‘ explains Gregg Glass, master maker at The Dalmore, to designboom.
Only three bottles of the rare 48-year-old whisky will be made, encased in a sculpture designed by the architect
a kintsugi reflection of rarity
The immensely scarce 48-year-old whisky is encased by a one-of-three sculpture designed by Kengo Kuma, inspired by the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi. Like this artistry, 48 handcrafted particles of oak – one for each year aged by the single malt – are fused organically using metal, as if autumnal leaves nested together. The use of wood references the architect and distillery’s respect for nature in their craft. The metal acts to mirror the interplay of rich tones and light that shimmers through the negative space of the sculpture.
‘I decided early on in the collaboration to use the idea of kintsugi,‘ notes Kengo Kuma to designboom. ‘Kintsugi is an artisan method of reassembling materials of a broken object, like ceramic. It is a process that shows sustainability but also the actual process of making. Kintsugi enriches the object and gives more value than before. This reflects the shared philosophies of architecture and whisky, and the union of different ideas from Japan and Scotland.‘
