Vik Vineyard by architect Smiljan Radic

A ride through the hillsides brings visitors to the winery, barely visible amid the vines. Radic keeps the focus on the natural surroundings. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

April 1, 2015 10:11 PM PT

For Vik Vineyard, a new red wine vineyard established by European business mogul Alexander Vik in Chile, architect Smiljan Radic created a dramatic winery building that barely peeks above the horizon.

Visitors enter the complex through a narrow opening in a long concrete wall. From here, they are transported to a stone-covered plaza covered by a thin layer of water. After a bumpy, dusty ride to get here, the view and the sound of the water immediately soothe. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

A series of concrete paths around the plaza provide different vantage points of the mountains, the building and Radic’s unusual water feature -- which serves to cool the wine-aging facilities underneath. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

Radic is an architect who has worked with stone monoliths in the past -- in the design of a restaurant in Santiago. Here the boulders almost feel as if they have tumbled off the mountainsides to bask in the sun. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

From the main entrance, it is possible to see all the way through the building to the coastal hills -- so that the views of the horizon remain in tact even when indoors. Inside, a long concrete catwalk is surrounded by fermentation vats. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

The view from underneath the concrete ramp, lined by fermentation vats. This entire area sits below ground level, which keeps the temperatures cool. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

The wines are aged in oak casks in a large warehouse under the water plaza. Again, by residing underground, the entire operation stays at a constant temperature with little to no artificial cooling. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

Exiting the rear of the winery leads to a structure that will soon serve as a restaurant, where visitors can have a meal -- and some wine -- in view of Vik’s acreage. The restaurant is scheduled to open in May. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

The plaza has a gentle slant, which allows the water to run over the surface. It is angled in such a way so that the tops of the vineyards remain visible in the distance -- a good play with horizon lines. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)