'Decades in the Making' Kengo Kuma and The Dalmore.

‘Decades in the Making’ Kengo Kuma and The Dalmore.

Architecture – Time and craftsmanship, these are the founding values of both whisky and architecture. In partnership with the V&A Dundee museum, the Dalmore luxury Scotch whisky presents the Decades in the Making short movie illuminating the long journey of the two world-renowned masters, from childhood to today. 

'Decades in the Making' Kengo Kuma and The Dalmore.

“The Role of the architect is connecting the past and the future.” Says Kengo Kuma, architect of the Tokyo Olympics Stadium and V&A Dundee in Scotland. “Time is the master of whisky,” says Richard Paterson, The Dalmore’s Master Distiller, for six decades.

Decades in the Making is framed by a collage of evocative archive images exploring the synergies between each man’s pursuit of excellence over the decades. The six-minute film by STROMA Films explores the creative inspiration and the development of potential over time, coinciding with seminal career moments for both masters.

'Decades in the Making' Kengo Kuma and The Dalmore.

“I’m always thinking about 100 years after. The aging adds some taste to the building. Without ageing, the building is not happy.” Says Kuma. “Glasgow was a bustling city. But as soon you went into the [whisky] warehouses, everything became silent, like walking into an empty church.” Adds Paterson. “It evokes that maturation, that sense there’s something going on. A living spirit is actually breathing.”

Kengo Kuma reveals his childhood inspiration to become an architect during a visit to the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games with his father, a dream now realised in his design for the new National Stadium, the main venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. “At that time, Tokyo was a city of small buildings because Japan was a country of wood. The buildings for Tokyo Olympics were different.”

Having spent over 50 years in whisky craftsmanship, Paterson shares his early experiences at the Distillery, which forged the foundations for realising masterpieces over time. “I think of the spirit that has been in these casks from the very beginning. I think of Middle Age people, to aged people, to heroes and to villains, to all sorts of make-ups that have changed during that particular time. And by bringing together passion and love, we are giving more than anything. Time to enjoy, time to remember. To make it last forever in our memories.”

The Dalmore Decades No.6.

The Dalmore Decades No.6.

This year, Paterson is proudly releasing a once-in-a-lifetime selection of six exceptional single malt whiskies: The Dalmore Decades, which will be auctioned via Sotheby’s Hong Kong with a significant percentage of proceeds from the standalone sale donated to V&A Dundee.

'Decades in the Making' Kengo Kuma and The Dalmore.

All photos: courtesy of Dalmore Scotch whisky.