Edward Fielder Billson is director at MAP Architecture and Planning.

The firm recently completed the interiors for China's first winery dedicated to the production of premium sparkling wine in the Ningxia Hui region.

Architecture & Design spoke to Billson about founding MAP, why you need a sink or swim attitude to architecture in Hong Kong and why designing a champagne winery is more complex than still wine distilleries.

You established MAP in Hong Kong in 2003. What research did you do into Hong Kong prior to establishing the firm?

After graduating from Melbourne University in 1982 I landed a job in the office of Philip Johnson in New York working on the Lipstick Building, 53rd at 3rd in New York City. I returned to Melbourne to join the family firm, which translated into running my own practice until 1994 when the recession that we had to have drove me out of the country again to Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong I worked for Wong Tung and Partners on Tsing Yi station and the Dragonair Headquarters Building for which we won the top honour from the HKIA. My reward post ‘97 for this performance was the termination of my employment contract.

I won a project in my own right with Lend Lease to renovate the 53 luxury condominiums at 56 Repulse Bay Road, a project which was a technical and financial success that basically launched me into my own practice in Hong Kong.

MAP was formed after the first phase of this project and the new owner. Macquarie Global Property Advisors was our first client.

How do designers approach architecture in Hong Kong as compared to Australia?

Everything in Hong Kong is fast-paced and under resourced. Designers have to sink or swim. If you cannot get the job done with half the people you need and half the time to do it, then Hong Kong is not for you.

What could Australian Designers learn from Hong Kong?

I think that Hong Kong learns the value of a considered solution from Australian architecture and the Australians could learn the value of a less considered approach in cases where the value from the very considered solution is more marginal.  

What has been your favourite project so far?

56 Repulse Bay Road was an exciting project because it was the first in my own name. Wen Jun distillery in China for Moet Hennessy was exciting because it was three projects in one and my first substantial built work in China. The Chairman’s House project for HSBC in Hong Kong was also a great opportunity to add so much value to a project through strong design leadership and receive so much appreciation.

You've worked with many architects. Who have you learnt the most from?

You learn little things from people.

  • Ted Billson Melbourne taught me free work is considered worthless by the client.
  • John Sawley Adelaide taught me to find the humour in all situations.
  • Don Goldberg New York taught me screw-ups can be turned into a positive client interaction.
  • Philip Johnson New York taught me over-time is a waste of time.
  • Bill Wong Hong Kong taught me architecture is a business.
  • Karl Grebstad Hong Kong taught me don’t burn bridges.

Chandon Ningxia winery by Edward Billson

You've been involved in designing China's first winery dedicated to sparkling wine. What challenges were associated with the project?

The Chandon Ningxia winery will be the first sparkling white wine venture for Moet Hennessy in China. We discussed the architectural style with Mark Bedingham, the MD of Moet Hennessy Asia Pacific, and we decided that the local wine makers were all building French chateaus, so that was out. The area is full of 1,000 year-old XiaXia Chinese Muslim vernacular architecture, so that was out. The best option remaining was a starkly modernist building, which is what MAP is comfortable with.

Method Champagnoise wineries are much more complicated than a still winery. After the first fermentation still wine is made, a lot of additional things have to happen in order to make a champagne style wine. These additional activities include blending, Sur Latte second fermentation, riddling, freezing the wine in the neck of the bottle and disgorgement, dosage and finally corking labeling and packaging. 

The client under-estimated the size of the building required by almost exactly the circulation space that was missing from all the process drawings. They were somewhat horrified when I enlarged the building by 20% to allow a forklift to drive around in the winery, adding 20% to the construction budget.

Having got the building the right size the project managers thought they would delete all the cladding systems from the scope of the main contract to save money. This was another disappointment for the client when it was discovered and the money put back in the project for the cladding.

We had the grand opening ceremony for the Ningxia winery in June this year, which has been very well received. The architecture and interiors also by MAP are considered to be “right for the brand”. We are expecting the first wine to be on sale next year.

Fermentation Cellar Wall at China’s first winery dedicated to the production of premium sparkling wine in the Ningxia Hui region. Image by Philip Gostelow.

If you weren't an architect, what would you be doing?

An Australian farmer. Unfortunately, I will never make enough money in architecture to realise that dream.