ABOUT THE PROJECT
Redefining luxury hospitality through multi-sensory craft
To launch The Balvenie Fifty Collection at Milan Design Week 2025, we partnered with award-winning artist and designer Dr. Samuel Ross MBE to create TRANSPOSITION – an immersive sculptural environment. Set in Milan’s Old Foundry, this installation reimagined the whisky experience through a bold fusion of industrial design, natural elements, and multi-sensory storytelling. Rooted in The Balvenie’s ethos of craftsmanship and innovation, the project invited guests into a transformed hospitality space, grounded in authenticity and artistic vision.
CHALLENGE
To break away from traditional luxury branding and challenge the romanticised whisky narrative, while celebrating The Balvenie’s 50-year heritage. The team needed to create a memorable launch experience that blended fine whisky with contemporary design in a way that resonated with global design audiences.
THE OUTCOME
A strategic creative partnership
From the outset, our team worked hand-in-hand with The Balvenie to define a future-facing creative brief, leading to the partnership with Dr. Samuel Ross as the ideal collaborator – a figure whose design language could disrupt convention while remaining rooted in craftsmanship.
A sculptural, sensorial journey
TRANSPOSITION transformed the atmospheric Old Foundry into a sculptural hospitality space. Ross’ design incorporated industrial materials like copper, nodding to distillation techniques, and integrated elements of light, shadow, sound, and scent. The installation invited visitors into a meditative environment that blurred boundaries between art, industry, and nature.
Elevating the whisky experience
At the heart of the space stood a bespoke bar, offering The Balvenie curated serves presented in carefully selected glassware. Each drink became part of a personalised sensory journey – not just about tasting whisky, but experiencing its story through the lens of design, space, and emotion.
Celebrating craft in context
TRANSPOSITION is part of Interwoven Stories, a broader campaign paying tribute to the legacy of The Balvenie Fifty Collection. The space doesn’t just display craft – it embodies it, honouring the brand’s heritage while shaping the future of luxury hospitality experiences.
TRANSPOSITION is a collision between two worlds. Between the elements and the man-made. Between craft and industry. The works and sculptural environment of TRANSPOSITION will change your relationship with what you are tasting on site.
Dr Samuel Ross MBE
Through TRANSPOSITION, we’ve created a unique sensory experience that not only showcases The Balvenie’s craftsmanship but also redefines hospitality within the design sphere. Our collaboration with Samuel Ross and The Balvenie has resulted in an installation that is both thought-provoking and deeply immersive.
Ross Wheeler Business Director & Head of Live at Imagination
VALUE
For the audience
TRANSPOSITION offered guests a unique opportunity to step into a world where whisky, art, and environment coexisted. The immersive space redefined traditional whisky experiences, inviting visitors on a fully sensorial journey that engaged sight, sound, scent, and taste. At its heart, the bespoke bar provided The Balvenie curated serves paired with carefully selected glassware, personalising each encounter. This was more than a tasting – it was a reimagining of how whisky can be experienced, especially within the context of high design and cultural storytelling. The installation’s 10+ design elements, inspired by the distillation process, created a deeper emotional connection between guests and the brand, leaving a lasting impression on an audience attuned to innovation and authenticity.
For the brand
For The Balvenie, TRANSPOSITION marked a bold step in evolving how luxury craftsmanship is communicated. By aligning with the contemporary vision of Dr. Samuel Ross and the experiential expertise of Imagination, the brand was able to transcend category expectations and enter the cultural conversation at Milan Design Week – one of the world’s most influential design stages. This project not only reinforced The Balvenie’s dedication to craft and storytelling but also positioned it as a thought leader within the intersection of luxury, design, and hospitality. The three-way collaboration, the immersive environment, and the curated sensory journey collectively set a new benchmark for whisky brand experiences, expanding both brand relevance and cultural resonance.
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