Bombay Sapphire is getting ready to begin the restoration of the historic buildings in Laverstoke Mill, Hampshire to open its new distillery. The company will invest millions of pounds into the revamp of the site where one of England’s most significant bank note paper factory was functioning for many years.

Photo: a visualization of the Bombay Sapphire House, clickable

Established London designer Thomas Heatherwick and his Heatherwick Studio will create a totally new building made of glass, which will reflect the values of the premium gin brand devoted to art. A two hectare brown-field historical site where bank notes for Britain and India were produced for 200 years will feature a completely new modern distillery which will be designed to give visitors an outstanding impression of Bombay Sapphire.

The new glass house will complement the existing well-maintained buildings and will be dedicated to the Bombay Sapphire gin’s 10 botanicals. 10 year ago Heatherwick received the Bombay Sapphire Prize for his excellence and innovation in glass. He joined the Bombay Sapphire Foundation, which encourages the best in contemporary design and glass design in particular.

Heatherwick commented: “As the particular flavors of Bombay Sapphire gin are derived from ten botanicals, the centerpiece of the site is a glass house, within which visitors will experience the specific horticultural specimens infused in the spirit. The glass house, influenced by Britain’s rich heritage of glass house structures, will be two separate structures providing both a humid environment for spices that originate from the tropics, as well as a dry temperate zone for Mediterranean plants.”

The restoration was granted in February 2012 and the build process is now underway. The company plans to open the distillery in fall 2013.

Photo: a visualization of the Bombay Sapphire House, clickable