Introduction
World-renowned chef Gordon Ramsey had plans to expand Bread Street Kitchen to Asia. The new restaurant would be located in the luxurious Marina Bay Sands complex in Singapore, among a collection of high-end shops and facilities. The team was looking for a seasoned partner to help deliver an extremely reliable climate control system for its extensive wine collection that would not disrupt the modern, industrial motif of the space. Ramsey selected Celsius Equipment Pte Ltd for the project, which would include two separate wine displays.
The Challenge
Since Singapore is just one degree from the equator, there were a number of challenges inherent to storing and cooling wine at the new Bread Street Kitchen location. The relentlessly hot and humid climate would require a commercial-grade system engineered to maintain a pristine environment under harsh conditions. The wine displays would also benefit from a level of versatility in a temperature- and humidity-control solution to accommodate both serving and storing temperatures. Ultimately, in order to protect the valuable wine investment the system would need to be easy to maintain, control, and extremely reliable.
Other challenges involved installing a robust system within an elegant wine wall that would be a focal point of the restaurant. Celsius Equipment would need to select units that could unobtrusively fit within the mostly-glass enclosures while concealing unsightly HVAC equipment associated with it.
The Solution
After calculating the heat load of each wine display—paying extra attention to the volume of glass comprising each plan— Celsius Equipment selected two types of Wine Guardian systems for their robust functionality, as well as versatility in installation and design.
For the space dedicated to aging and longer-term storage of wine, Celsius Equipment installed a Wine Guardian self-contained ducted unit. With a maximum capacity of 3,430 watts, the WG175 air-cooled packaged unit was powerful enough to counter high ambient temperatures, unrelenting humidity, and an enclosure made up primarily of glass. Controlling the climate inside the display was simplified through remote sensors located within the wine space that displayed both temperature and humidity levels on a remote interface. Lastly, the corrosion-resistant aluminum body and e-coated coils were also well-suited to tolerate Singapore’s tropical conditions.
The wall devoted to maintaining champagnes and white wines at serving temperatures was outfitted with two through-the-wall (TTW) systems. The WG25 units each have a maximum capacity of 410 watts, which made them powerful enough together to reliably maintain 4℃ (40℉) in the enclosure also made up almost entirely of glass. The TTW units were installed flush with the walls to blend in with the sides of the display. Similar to the ducted system, the TTW units have a corrosion-resistant aluminum exterior and e-coated coils to combat the salt air and high humidity levels.
From an aesthetic perspective, the cooling technology had to blend in with the modern, sophisticated restaurant and its clientele. More specifically, the self-contained ducted system was installed with the evaporator and condenser functions operating completely outside of the display. The mechanicals were connected via flexible insulated ductwork to two discreet grilles in the wine enclosure. This solution also prevented vibration and condenser noise from disturbing the ambiance.
The wine wall displaying the champagnes and whites was built on the periphery of the restaurant, adjacent to the high-end Marina Sands mall. Shoppers walking by would be met with the gorgeous, elegant display that perfectly aligned with the luxurious Marina Sands brand.
In the end, Bread Street Kitchen could focus on providing diners with exceptional cuisine knowing that their vast wine collection was being properly cared for. Wine Guardian was honored to play a part in delivering the solution that upheld the high standards of excellence associated with Bread Street Kitchen.
Results
- One WG175 air-cooled ducted packaged unit
- Each 50Hz unit delivers a maximum of 3,430 watts per hour
- Two Wine Guardian WG25 units cooled to serving temperature
- Each 50Hz unit delivers a maximum of 430 watts per hour
