In modern day China, the constantly rising demand for luxury goods is reaching dizzying heights and spurring on brands to bigger and better concepts in order to take an even larger piece of the pie. After the success of the Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai, it was only a matter of time before Beijing would boast its own Johnnie Walker experience. Once again, the Singapore based practice of Asylum together with Love were selected to design this outstanding project, the concept of which was a total immersion in the history of Scotland and the brand by creating an exclusive environment which would tantalize and delight the senses of the most jaded of palettes.
The three storey structure, which is located one of the most international areas in Beijing, welcomes visitors with a traditional Chinese gateway of 6 copper faced structures on which are inscribed the names of the 6 Master blenders, an integral part of the legacy of the brand. Once inside, a mass of wood and copper is shades of warm brown and amber immediately bring to mind the hues of the finest whisky. The visitor is taken through a recreation of the original store of the family into a distillery with a gleaming ceiling installation of copper pipes and the Blending room with a floor of barley set into resin and a towering void lined with a selection of the brand’s premium blends which soars throughout the levels.
In addition, the complex offers the best in fine dining based on whisky inspired dishes, a bar, museum and retail outlet and a really impressive members club, where just a limited number of guests may have their own blend of whisky created and stored in a personal trunk on the premises, ready to be transported anywhere they wish. This must be the ultimate in luxury pampering in a totally fascinating whisky experience.
