Not many sculpture parks can boast a wine-tasting pavilion co-designed by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. But the Donum Estate, a sweeping panorama dotted with blue-chip sculptures in northern California, will launch such a structure next spring. The new pavilion, located on a small hill amongst rolling vineyards, will be created by Studio Other Spaces, the art and architecture office founded by Eliasson and the German architect Sebastian Behmann (both men worked on the legendary Tate Modern “sun” piece, The Weather Project, in 2003).
“Olafur visited Donum several times, and we think back to 2019 when we were walking the Donum land together. With a glass of wine in hand, we discussed a range of possibilities and locations,” say Mei and Allan Warburg, the collecting couple and owners of the Donum Estate who acquired the 200-acre property in Sonoma County in 2011.
Behmann outlines the vision behind the new “holistic” pavilion: “Inspired by the Donum Estate vineyard, we have incorporated the natural elements into the structure: the soil, vegetation, wind, sun, atmosphere, rain and even the passage of time it takes the vines to grow for the next season”. An early work from the collection, King and Queen (1987) by the late Keith Haring, has even been moved to the tallest elevation on the estate property near the eucalyptus grove to make way for the new wine-tasting locale. Other works dotted around the sprawling sun-kissed landscape include The Care of Oneself (2017) by Elmgreen & Dragset and Louise Bourgeois’ Crouching Spider (2003). Donum Estate is open by appointment (admission priced from $75).
