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Award-Winning Designer Kyle MertensMeyer Unveils the Peacock Wine Cellar

Kyle MertensMeyer, in collaboration with Ni Yangchao and Tang Linwei, has unveiled the Peacock Wine Cellar, a breathtaking fusion of ancient craftsmanship and contemporary design. Inspired by the unique feather-textured blue porcelain glaze from the Song Dynasty, the cellar features one thousand individually handcrafted blue-glazed terra cotta tiles, symbolizing the elegance and strength of the peacock. The project, which began in January 2019, was completed in July 2021 in Shanghai, China.

The Peacock Wine Cellar's unique design required over two years of meticulous craftsmanship to recreate the glazing for each tile, with only 1 in 10 pieces surviving the extreme heat required to achieve the desired blue color tone. The cellar's 10m2 space showcases the tiles splayed using a triple curved parametric array, inspired by the majestic form of the peacock, and serves a dual purpose to hold each bottle and serve as the cellar's light source.

The cellar's operation is seamless and controlled by a smart controller with access via an app for the owner, while a custom aluminum ladder provides easy access to elevated wine bottles. The project's primary research focused on testing the shape of the blue terra-cotta tile to safely hold wine bottles, while the most significant challenge was creating the specific blue feathered glazing, with only one artisan succeeding out of more than fifty attempts.

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