Ysios sues Calatrava over dodgy roof

Bodegas Ysios in Rioja is suing world renowned architect Santiago Calatrava for €2m over repeated leaks in the roof of the winery he designed for the firm in 2001.

Pretty but impractical: the roof of Bodegas Ysios designed by Sanitago Calatrava can’t keep the wind and rain out

The undulating silver roof mirrors the mountainous landscape of Rioja Alavesa behind it, but the clever design is unable to keep the wind and rain out.

The winery’s owner, Domecq Bodegas, said the building had “seriously deteriorated” in the 12 years since it opened, with temperature changes causing fixtures to tear and aluminium parts coming loose in strong winds.

Despite several attempts by Calatrava’s eponymous practice to fix the roof, the inability to prevent it from leaking has forced Domecq Bodegas to take legal action against Calatrava and construction company Ferrovial.

Legal responsibility for the leaks lies with the parties involved in the building work, with Domecq reporting Calatrava’s attempts to fix the roof “worsened the situation.”

Santiago Calatrava in Venice

Domecq Bodegas, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, is planning to spend the €2m on commissioning an alternative architect to build a new roof, which, according to a spokesperson, will “retain the same visual aspect of the winery,” through its aluminium finish.

Thankfully for fans to Ysios, named after the Egyptian goddess of magic who oversaw the conversion of grapes into wine, the group reports that no damage has been done to the wines in its cellars, but rather it is an “image problem.”

Valencia-born Calatrava, who has been compared to legendary Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, is the man behind a serious of spectacular structures, including the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, the main terminal at Bilbao Airport, the Turning Torso building in Malmo and Chords Bridge in Jerusalem.

Controversy seems to follow Calatrava – politicians in Valencia have complained that tiles have started to shake loose from his spaceship-like arts and sciences complex and have demanded Calatrava pay for some of the damages.

Meanwhile, doubts have also been raised about the safety of his bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice – the first to be built in the city for 75 years.

Italian newspaper Il Giornale recently reported that the bridge had attracted over 5,000 complaints, with many voicing concerns that the structure is too slippery.