The Gun Room dates back to the Napoleonic wars in later years the building became a tannery and was subsequently used as a village hall and community centre. It was fully restored by the Rathfinny Wine Estate and re-opened as a retail centre specialising in locally sourced products. Restoring the building involved a new roof, new walls, floor and exterior cladding. The interior was redesigned with open retail space and stairs leading to a mezzanine floor area.
Frameless glass balustrading was installed by Ion Glass to the stairs and mezzanine floor to give the interior a light, airy and contemporary feel. Ion designed and commissioned bespoke bracketry to fix a timber shelf to the glass balustrade at an appropriate height for visitors to use as a convenient place to rest their wine glasses during tasting sessions.
The frameless glass balustrade achieves a minimal result that creates a light and airy feel to the interior, whilst the combination of glass with the oak treads and handrails is very much in keeping with the heritage of the building. Installing a glass lobby area allows maximum light into the building whilst creating an entrance that is visually welcoming for visitors, allowing them to see the interior from outside the building.