Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

Slideshow: granite bleachers climb the exterior of this sports centre in Portugal by architects Barbosa & Guimarães, while a cantilevered, rusted-steel cafe looms over its entrance (photographs by José Campos).

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimaraes

This sunken entrance leads visitors down into the lowest floor of the three-storey Lamego Multipurpose Centre, towards a sports hall and separate auditorium.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimaraes

Either side of this entrance, the tiered platforms stagger all the way up to the roof, in line with the sloping levels of the surrounding hillside.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimaraes

A series of Corten steel follies are also scattered across the rooftop to accomodate large skylights punching through to the interior.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimaraes

This time last year Barbosa & Guimarães had just completed some concrete law courts – take a look here.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

Here’s some more information from Barbosa & Guimarães:


LAMEGO MULTIPURPOSE PAVILLION 2006 – 2012

Overlooking the entire city, the leafy park of mount Santo Estêvão is directly related to the centre of the city of Lamego through the imposing Escadório do Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, which threads its way along the Avenida das Tílias.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

Located at the foot of the park, together with the monumental 18th century complex, the Multi-purpose Pavilion mellows the hillside of mount Santo Estêvão, taking advantage of the natural gradient to nullify its volume, through a plaza and an amphitheatre installed on its roof.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

The current fair space, which now acts as an anteroom for the new Pavilion, was out of character.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

Its limits were redesigned, transforming it into a more controlled space, establishing a new relationship with the surrounding streets.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

On the south elevation, where the main accesses to the building are located, the great amphitheatre allows a connection to be made between the two plazas, the new one at a high level above ground and the other at a low level.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

The urban park gains a new orientation, the new Plaza over the Pavilion merging at its northern end.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

These three new spaces, Park, Fair and Plaza, in direct conjunction with the urban axis defined by the Alameda and Escadório de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, significantly reinforce and upgrade the public space of the city of Lamego.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

The Pavilion, the anchoring facility in the intervention, allows various uses, the fruit of the multi-purpose nature of the arena and of the foyer, which their 50-metre span and ceiling height of 10 make possible.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

The Pavilion also offers shower facilities and changing rooms, a multipurpose room and auditorium for 120 people, which complements its versatility.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

With the Pavilion there will be a car park, with four underground floors, allowing streets with high and low levels to be connected.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

Granite, present in the subsoil and in the architecture of Lamego, coats the new public spaces, strengthening the character of continuity and integration that the project seeks.

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

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Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

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Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

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Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

Click above for larger image

Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

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Centro Multiusos de Lamego by Barbosa & Guimarães

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Palácio de Justiça de Gouveia by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Photographer José Campos has sent us these photographs of the recently completed law courts in Gouveia, Portugal, by architects Barbosa & Guimarães.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Located between two parks, The Gouveia Law Courts are set upon four chunky pillars.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The courts are accessed by a wide central staircase that brings visitors from the plaza into the heart of the building.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

This stairwell is open to the sky and framed by the faceted concrete walls of the surrounding building.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The registrars’ offices are located in a courtyard below this staircase.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Internally, the courtroom is naturally lit through a series of skylights and offices overlook the park to the north.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

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Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Here are some more details from the architects:


Palácio de Justiça de Gouveia 2002 – 2011

Gouveia, door for entry to the Serra da Estrela, is going to be served by new Law Courts. The land set aside for construction is located between the public gardens, at the end of the Rampa do Monte do Calvário, replacing an existing building. The project takes advantage of the demolition of the existing building, which occupied the whole of the plot, to design a new Plaza, with a scale and dignity to receive the Law Courts.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

In dialogue with the granite walls that define its surroundings, the Plaza takes on the form of a bottling of stone, upon which the Law Courts rest.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The building, set on four pillars, ensures transparency and connection between the two gardens that delimit it to the north and the south.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The dignity and symbolism that a building like the Law Courts should always have is achieved at the cost of the monolithic and singular character that the volume of white concrete acquires, above all in the expression of its compact elevations, with empty spaces deeply excavated, as if suspended over the Plaza.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

A staircase of generous proportions opening onto a patio honours access to the Court floor.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The lobby/foyer crosses longitudinally the entirety of the building, communicating directly with the garden to the north, establishing a relationship of closeness with the tops of the existing trees through a horizontal empty space.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

In the volume, the courtroom stands out, with a set of vertical skylights that subtly light the whole space.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The registrars services, which operate independently, are installed in the filled part of the building, open to an interior patio which communicates directly with the north garden.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

The project foresees a public car park, hidden under the plaza, with access from the adjacent streets.

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Ficha Técnica

Local: Gouveia
Dono da obra: Instituto de gestão financeira e infraestruturas da justiça

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Concurso: 2002
Projecto: 2002 – 2004
Obra: 2008 – 2011

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Arquitectura: Barbosa & Guimarães, José António Barbosa, Pedro Lopes Guimarães
Colaboradores: Miguel Pimenta, Cristina Chicau, Henrique Dias, José Marques, Luís Monteiro, Paula Fonseca, Susana Machado, Teresa Aroso, Raul Andrade, Pablo Rebelo

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Estabilidade e estruturas: Alberto Teixeira
Empresa construtora: José Coutinho s.a.
Instalações hidráulicas: Luis Veloso
Instalações eléctricas: Rga. Paulo Oliveira
Instalações de rede de gás: Rga . Arnaldo Monteiro
Director de obra: Rafael Luzio
Instalações de avac: Rga . Arnaldo Monteiro

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarãesv

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães

Judicial Court by Barbosa & Guimarães


See also:

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Ciutat de la Justícia
by David Chipperfield
Monitoring Center
by Aires Mateus
Social Centre
by Imago