Mugarik Gabe, EDA Drinks & Wine Campus Vitoria-Gasteiz offices, San Martín district architecture, Basque building design

Mugarik Gabe, EDA Drinks & Wine Campus, Spain

17 July 2025

Design: José Carvalho Araújo architect

Location: Laguardia + Vitoria-Gasteiz, province of Araba/Álava, Basque Country, northern Spain

‘Mugarik Gabe’, the single project of EDA Drinks & Wine Campus that unites Laguardia and Vitoria-Gasteiz with innovation and tradition in the world of drinks.

Mugarik Gabe – EDA Drinks & Wine Campus building at Laguardia:

Mugarik Gabe – EDA Drinks & Wine Campus building at Vitoria-Gasteiz:

Renders by José Carvalho Araújo architect

– ‘Mugarik Gabe’ is a single project with two headquarters, one in Laguardia and the other in Vitoria-Gasteiz. It stands out for its landscape integration in both the urban and rural environment, the organisation of the activity programme, and its functionality and flexibility, in line with the project’s needs.

– The Laguardia building houses three laboratories, four workshops, a sensory analysis room, an incubator for entrepreneurs and six rooms aimed at promoting startups, a pilot plant focused on winemaking, and an experimental wine bar. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, there will be four laboratories, a pilot plant for producing, among other drinks, beer, NoLos, distilled and fermented drinks, two sensory analysis rooms, eight workshops, and an experimental drinks bar. Both headquarters come together in a single project.

– After completion of the basic and execution projects, a tender will be issued in September for the construction of both headquarters. The work on both buildings will begin in December 2025.

Mugarik Gabe campus building at Laguardia:

Mugarik Gabe campus building at Vitoria-Gasteiz:

Mugarik Gabe, EDA Drinks & Wine Campus Building Design

Vitoria-Gasteiz, 16 July 2025 – The design project for the headquarters of the EDA Drinks & Wine Campus continues to progress in line with the established roadmap. Today, the details of the different spaces were presented, along with the development of the project.

Under the name `Mugarik Gabe´ (No Borders), the Portuguese architecture studio Carvalho Araújo, entrusted with the design of the project, created a unique proposal with two different architectural expressions, one in Laguardia and the other in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The specific characteristics were studied in order to understand the different realities and needs and to propose a concept that is developed in two landscapes. The Vitoria-Gasteiz building evokes a square, providing a meeting place that transforms the space into a place of gathering and belonging. The Laguardia space will become a point of reference that will enhance the community.

The uniqueness and integration of both spaces into the environment were the most valued criteria for selecting them. Both buildings have a green roof and underground floors that act as mediators of the landscape and sustainability. In both cases, part of the building is below ground, to take advantage of thermal inertia, since some areas in the buildings, such as those for ageing, production, storage, and other spaces, require more specific, controlled, cool and stable temperatures. During their presentation, Carvalho Araújo explained: “The green roof system of both buildings mitigates the impact of the sun, regulates the temperature and reduces heating requirements within the buildings, enhancing their energy efficiency and performance.”

The organisational plan allows the spaces and processes to be adapted to EDA’s constantly evolving needs. These are versatile spaces that interconnect and open, creating synergies of use that are enhanced by versatility. The buildings that will house EDA Drinks & Wine Campus are conceived as centres of reference that connect knowledge, tradition and innovation. Their design and location align with a strategic vision that seeks to revitalise the territory, strengthen the identity of the sector and create new economic and social opportunities.

EDA Drinks & Wine Campus buildings at Vitoria-Gasteiz:

The Vitoria-Gasteiz building will have a usable area of 4,000 m² and will be focused on training and knowledge. It will have two sensory analysis rooms, four laboratories (chromatography, physics, chemistry, and microbiology), eight workshops and an auditorium. It will also have a space of almost 900 m² for its pilot plant, where the students will be able to put into practice their knowledge of production processes in diverse areas such as distillation and fermentation, among others. This pilot plant will be one of the core spaces of both buildings as it is here that students, entrepreneurs and players in the sector will be able to experiment with the different production processes of the various projects. The students will follow the learning-by-doing approach, and the spaces were therefore designed in line with a philosophy based on nano facilities, where the different users of the buildings can deepen their knowledge through practice.

EDA Drinks & Wine Campus buildings at Laguardia:

The Laguardia building will have a usable area of 2,500 m² and here the focus will be on entrepreneurship. Among other spaces, it will have one sensory analysis room, two laboratories (microbiology, and physics and chemistry), four workshops and one auditorium. In addition to the more than 700 m² for its pilot plant, dedicated to winemaking, with fermentation and ageing areas, a total of 500 m² of spaces for entrepreneurial activities are also planned. This will be where startups will work on their projects. This area for entrepreneurs will consist of six rooms where the different projects can display their products, and will function independently to the other activities in the building.

EDA will also have a wine bar in Laguardia and a drinks bar in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Both areas will be open to the public and will function in a similar way to the learning spaces at the Basque Culinary Center. They will therefore serve as places for students to put into practice what they have learned and for entrepreneurs to test open technologies and solutions.

Rueda de prensa:

photo : Basque Culinary Center

The Vitoria-Gasteiz headquarters will be focused on the world of drinks, such as beers, distilled and fermented drinks, and NoLos, among others, while in Laguardia, the focus will be on the wine sector. Both spaces will offer educational activities, such as the degree in wine and beverages, specialised masters degrees, postgraduate courses and the doctoral programme, all with the support of the Basque Culinary Center, Faculty of Gastronomy Sciences of Mondragon Unibertsitatea. There will also be different events and activities for the public, such as tasting courses, drinks production and culinary harmonies and pairings. The entrepreneurial activities will be carried out mainly in Laguardia, through specific learning support programmes such as the startup incubator. These will be complemented with research and innovation projects focused on the wine and drinks sector.

With regard to the schedule for completion, it has been mentioned that, after winning the international architectural competition, Carvalho Araújo has discussed different work phases of the project with EDA Drinks & Wine Campus and the different public entities involved in the project. The initial plans have become more specifically adapted to the technical needs and criteria, without losing sight of the original concept. In September, once the execution project has been completed, a tender will be issued for the construction of both headquarters. Once the tender has been awarded and all the relevant permits have been obtained, the construction phase will begin. The works are expected to begin in December 2025.

The presentation took place during an event attended by Amaia Barredo (Minister of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture, and Fisheries of the Basque Government), Ramiro González (Deputy General of Álava), Maider Etxebarria (Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz), Raúl García (Mayor of Laguardia), Joxe Mari Aizega (General Director of Basque Culinary Center) and José Carvalho Araújo (architect of EDA Drinks & Wine Campus).

During his speech, Joxe Mari Aizega, General Director of the Basque Culinary Center, highlighted the importance of EDA Drinks & Wine Campus in terms of its strategic relevance. “EDA Drinks & Wine Campus reflects our commitment to promoting training, research and talent development. The buildings have been conceived as a single space in which knowledge, technology and creativity will coexist. They symbolise our vision of the future: a campus that integrates tradition and innovation from the heart of the wine and drinks culture. They are an architectural and functional reference at the service of a sector that aspires to lead the global challenges of the industry.”

EDA Drinks & Wine Campus

EDA Drinks & Wine Campus is an initiative led by the Basque Culinary Center and supported by the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Álava, with additional backing from Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council. Its mission is to promote sustainable economic and social development through the drinks and wine sector.

To this end, the Campus aims to attract talent, offer university-level and specialist master’s training through the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences, foster entrepreneurship and innovation, and develop research lines focused on knowledge transfer to the sector—all with a global vision and commitment to excellence.
EDA Drinks & Wine Campus will be a pioneering international project with an open approach.

Based in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Laguardia, as well as at the Basque Culinary Center’s headquarters in Donostia–San Sebastián, it will help transform the drinks and wine industry and become a global reference for innovation—supporting businesses across viticulture, agronomy, winemaking, management, marketing, hospitality, and business design—based on principles of excellence, sustainability and health, with a global approach and generating economic and social development.

Renderings by architect José Carvalho Araújo

Mugarik Gabe, EDA Drinks & Wine Campus buildings images / information received 170725

Location: Laguardia + Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain, southwest Europe

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Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council Offices, Ayuntamiento de Vitoria-Gasteiz, San Martín, Vitoria, Araba/Álava, Basque Country, northern Spain
Design: IDOM

photograph : Aitor Ortiz