Chun'an Whisky Distillery
Hangzhou Qiandao Lake, China, 2025
Application: Building Façade
Product: WASH, GRAZE, LANDSCAPE, STRIP, UNDERWATER
Model: ARCHI UPLIGHT 60, LP LINEAR DC, FLEX MILKY SLIM SIDE BENDED, INGROUND GRAZE 35, FOUNTAIN 33
Nestled along the shores of Qiandao Lake, the Chun’an Whisky Distillery (Angus Dundee) blends Scottish whisky heritage with the architectural language of Jiangnan craftsmanship. Embedded within the mountainous landscape of Xiamu, the distillery is defined by monolithic forms, immersive cellar spaces, and carefully choreographed spatial transitions between architecture, water, and terrain.
LUCITAG supplied an integrated architectural LED lighting system developed to support the project’s material sensitivity and spatial clarity. The approach prioritizes restraint, concealing light sources wherever possible to preserve the natural darkness of the valley while revealing the textures of timber, stone, water, and metal through controlled illumination.
LUCITAG supplied an integrated architectural LED lighting system developed to support the project’s material sensitivity and spatial clarity. The approach prioritizes restraint, concealing light sources wherever possible to preserve the natural darkness of the valley while revealing the textures of timber, stone, water, and metal through controlled illumination.
Roof Structures and Architectural Soffits
The expansive timber roof structures and deep geometric soffits required a lighting approach capable of expressing scale without visual intrusion.Wash ARCHI UPLIGHT 60 fixtures were integrated at structural bases to illuminate the underside of the roof planes through controlled uplighting. The system reveals the warmth and grain of the timber while maintaining visual comfort across the open valley environment.
The expansive timber roof structures and deep geometric soffits required a lighting approach capable of expressing scale without visual intrusion.Wash ARCHI UPLIGHT 60 fixtures were integrated at structural bases to illuminate the underside of the roof planes through controlled uplighting. The system reveals the warmth and grain of the timber while maintaining visual comfort across the open valley environment.
To articulate transitional architectural and landscape edges, INGROUND GRAZE 35 linear systems were integrated within ground-level recesses along plinths, pathways, and perimeter transitions. The system delivers a continuous low-level grazing effect that defines the interface between architecture and terrain, subtly lifting the timber volumes while guiding circulation through discreet, ground-hugged illumination. This restrained approach reinforces spatial continuity and material separation without introducing visual noise at façade level.
Interior Production Halls
Within the distillery’s production spaces, lighting is used to reveal process, structure, and material clarity. Wash ARCHI UPLIGHT 60 fixtures are positioned at lower structural levels to illuminate copper stills, exposed piping, and surrounding industrial elements. The controlled uplighting emphasizes vertical proportion and surface reflectivity, adding depth across the production floor.The lighting remains secondary to the industrial architecture, supporting visibility and spatial understanding while maintaining a restrained visual hierarchy aligned with the overall project language.
Within the distillery’s production spaces, lighting is used to reveal process, structure, and material clarity. Wash ARCHI UPLIGHT 60 fixtures are positioned at lower structural levels to illuminate copper stills, exposed piping, and surrounding industrial elements. The controlled uplighting emphasizes vertical proportion and surface reflectivity, adding depth across the production floor.The lighting remains secondary to the industrial architecture, supporting visibility and spatial understanding while maintaining a restrained visual hierarchy aligned with the overall project language.
Unified Architectural Expression
The lighting strategy for Chun’an Whisky Distillery is defined by integration rather than expression. By combining concealed architectural illumination and landscape-responsive lighting — including ground-integrated Inground Graze systems — the project establishes a coherent nighttime identity rooted in material authenticity and environmental sensitivity. The result is a lighting system that supports architecture rather than competing with it, revealing the quiet dialogue between built form, water, and mountain landscape.
The lighting strategy for Chun’an Whisky Distillery is defined by integration rather than expression. By combining concealed architectural illumination and landscape-responsive lighting — including ground-integrated Inground Graze systems — the project establishes a coherent nighttime identity rooted in material authenticity and environmental sensitivity. The result is a lighting system that supports architecture rather than competing with it, revealing the quiet dialogue between built form, water, and mountain landscape.
