d'Arenberg Cube
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

The Rubik’s Cube-inspired visitor centre in the middle of d’Arenberg’s McLaren Vale vineyards has been awarded one of Australia's highest honours for architectural design.

  • d’Arenberg Cube wins Good Design Award 2018

  • Centre cost 15 million Australian dollars to build

The avant-garde glass, concrete and steel structure sprang from the vision of d’Arenberg’s fourth-generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, who likened winemaking to solving a puzzle when describing how he came up with the concept.

‘This installation has captured attention and driven a massive increase in visitor numbers,’ said the Good Design Awards Jury. ‘The Jury applauds this innovative project.’

‘A lot of people were worried it would be an eyesore but people have been complimentary about the design of it,’ Osborn said in response to reports that 1,000 visitors a day flocked to the Cube within the first month of opening in December 2017.

For premium members: Australia’s finest – Langton’s Top 40

How it started: d’Arenberg plans giant ‘Rubik’s Cube’ visitor centre

d’Arenberg, a founding member of Australia’s First Families of Wine, built the five-story Cube complex in the heart of its McLaren Vale vineyards.

It houses tasting rooms, an art gallery, bars and a fine dining restaurant. It also has virtual reality experiences and a wine sensory room – filled with aromas, textures and flavours found in wine.

The Cube’s cost exceeded d’Arenberg’s 2015 projection of AUD$11 million. It was aided by a AUD$2 million State Government Regional Development Fund grant.

The Good Design Awards were presented by Jan Utzon, son of the architect behind Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon.

Winners will be showcased and celebrated during the Vivid Sydney festival, taking place 25-27 May.

Entry to the d’Arenberg Cube costs AUD$10. Find out more

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Laura Seal
Laura Seal
Decanter Magazine, Food, Wine & Travel Writer

Laura Seal is a freelance food, wine and travel writer based in London, but travelling regularly to Spain.

Besides writing travel guides, learning content and news stories for Decanter, she has also contributed to Country Life and US-based Food&Wine Magazine.

After graduating from UCL with an English Literature & Language degree in 2016, she joined Decanter as editorial and digital assistant. In 2017 she was promoted to the role of content creator on the digital team.

She worked with the Decanter design team to produce the much-loved ‘Tasting Notes Decoded’ series, which is published on Decanter.com and serialised in the magazine.

In addition, she compiles the 'A month in wine' feature for Decanter Magazine and formerly worked on MarketWatch.