Hasta La Ideas

An austere concrete pavilion in Lisbon with a staggered corridor and a hidden courtyard will host events and exhibitions during the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, which kicks off next month (+ slideshow).

Designed by Portuguese architect João Quintela and German architect Tim Simon, the Kairos Pavilion is a permanent structure built from prefabricated concrete blocks that slot together without any adhesives or fixings.

A single large window punctures every elevation of the rectilinear structure, each leading into a corridor that lines the perimeter. This walkway steps both up and down, transforming from a sunken shelter into a raised viewpoint.

The highest points of the walkway offer views down into the centre of the pavilion, where a square courtyard functions as a stage for exhibitions, speakers or musical performances.

The floor of this space is also set down by 20 centimetres to accommodate a shallow pool of water, forming a mirror that reflects an image of the sky above.

The architects describe the project as an experiment with scale, light and time. “It’s an investigation about proportions and the relationship between the small scale of the isolated module and the large scale of the whole building itself in relation with the context,” they said.

Named Kairos, the building first opened in 2012 and has been used to host projects and talks by architects such as Alberto Campo Baeza, Aires Mateus and Pezo von Ellrichshausen. It will also feature in the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2013, which runs from 12 September to 15 December – more details in our earlier story.

Other concrete pavilions featured on Dezeen include a ribbed structure at the University of Porto and a playground pavilion in Dallas, Texas.

See more pavilions on Dezeen »
See more concrete architecture and design »

Photography is by Diana Quintela.

Read on for more information from the design team:

KAIROS Pavilion, Lisbon, Portugal

Synopsis

KAIROS is a project created in 2012 by the architects João Quintela and Tim Simon in partnership with the company’s prefab concrete Gracifer and with the Lisbon Architecture Triennale’s support as an answer to an inhibitor and unsustainable social and economic context, with the aim of encouraging, generating and presenting exhibitions in which Space appears as the central theme.

It’s a pavilion – non-profit project – that intends to receive site-specific installations proposed by architects and artists. These projects should be created as an original work developed for this space exploiting its characteristics and dialoguing with the ambiences through their own and personal research.

Following this concept, and moving away from the institutional circuit of museums and galleries, the space is intended to be public, free and open to all the participants and proposals that want to integrate the exhibition’s calendar and by this generate the meeting and interaction between different and multidisciplinary projects.

The invitation to participate and submit proposals in KAIROS Pavilion is open to architecture, fine arts, performance, theatre, music and other artistic languages in which the participants feel that fits inside this concept contributing to approach creators and public.

Project

To the linear and chronological time ‘CHRONOS’ opposes ‘KAIROS’, an undefined and symbolic time which cannot be measured except by its quality.

The building wants to put two apparently irreconcilable times in dialogue. Since the very ancient periods buildings aspire to the idea of the ‘eternal’ through a spatiality and materiality able to resist time. The great temples and cathedrals, completely made out of natural stone, continue to coexist with the contemporaneity. Concrete constructions represent undoubtedly the legacy of modernity and they recover as well this symbolic idea of eternity.

This confront between the temporary and the eternal is something worth researching through a general view to the possibilities that our time can offer us. This prefab solution is capable to deal simultaneously with these two aspects as it allows us working with a durable and resistant material dialoguing with continuous Time, through a modular construction and an easy assembly or disassembly.

KAIROS, created by João Quintela and Tim Simon, appears as a result of a spatial research referenced in history through the use of Matter, Light and Time. The Matter of the Concrete, the Light of the Sun and the Time built from both. It’s an investigation about proportions and the relationship between the small scale of the isolated module and the large scale of the whole building itself in relation with the context.

The space is built by a very easy and primitive constructive system of overlapping and joining pieces, taking advantage of their own weight without using any glue or screws. It’s a square plan building with an inside square patio. Thus, there exists a perimeter all around that consists in a path developed both on the lower and upper level, generating two similar spaces with completely antagonistic ambiences. One is covered and black while the other is exterior and bright.

The inner patio is defined by the mirror created through the water inside which reflects the sky and duplicates the space. This becomes the central element, inaccessible and contemplative, able to freeze time and build an intimate moment, a dialogue with the past. Becomes the most significant space and acquires symbolism due to his impossible conquer.

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and Tim Simon appeared first on Dezeen.

Portuguese architect João Mendes Ribeiro clad this swimming pool pavilion with mirrored panels so it disappears into the surrounding orchard (+ slideshow).

João Mendes Ribeiro added the pool and pavilion in the grounds of a countryside property in central Portugal without disturbing the garden too much.

“The swimming pool was settled in a way that would allow to avoid changes on the terrain morphology and not to interfere with the existing vegetation, keeping the orchard’s character almost untouched and favouring the landscape scenic atmosphere,” said the architect.

Polished stainless steel sheets cover the small building at one end of the pool, which houses a pantry, toilet, shower and small storage room arranged in a row.

These mirrors reflect the landscape around the pool so from some angles the building is camouflaged amongst the trees.

The small rooms within the structure are entered through panels that swing open on both sides of the building. Its thin roof overhangs to provide poolside shade.

The pool sits to one side of a granite platform that’s level with the ground at the pavilion end but is accessed by stairs at the other to compensate for the gently sloping site.

A single set of steps leads into the water from a corner by the pavilion.

João Mendes Ribeiro has also converted the former house of a Portuguese poet into a writer’s retreat. Our latest story from Portugal is a collection of farm buildings revamped into a minimal family home.

We recently featured aerial photos that reveal the angular geometries of a rooftop swimming pool in Bangkok and have previously posted a plunge pool at a Stockholm house that looks like an aquarium.

See more swimming pool designs »
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Here’s some text from the architect:

Swimming Pool in Chamusca da Beira

The swimming pool in Chamusca da Beira is located in a rural property whose landscape is characterised by the presence of large and small scale trees, in an orchard area with ornamental and fruit trees.

The swimming pool was settled in a way that would allow to avoid changes on the terrain morphology and not to interfere with the existing vegetation, keeping the orchard’s character almost untouched and favouring the landscape scenic atmosphere.

The swimming pool is surrounded by a granite stone platform where, in one of its extremities, relies the volume containing the swimming pool dependencies (one pantry, one toilet, one shower and a small storage room). This volume is coated with polished stainless steel sheets that, by being highly reflective, allow the camouflage of the volume on its surroundings, dematerialising its presence and visually extending the landscape.

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by João Mendes Ribeiro appeared first on Dezeen.

Portuguese architect João Branco has revamped a cluster of farm buildings and animal pens to create a weekend retreat for a family in Portugal’s Sierra de Janeanes district (+ slideshow).

The renovated house is contained within the rustic stone walls of the old agricultural structures and sheltered beneath a traditional clay-tile roof.

The ground floor of the building steps up and down to adjust to the hilly terrain, grouping the house into four different zones. There’s also a new corridor that forms an axis across the length of the plan.

“The usual program of a single-family house is organised so that each space can be used with a degree of intimacy and independence,” said the architect.

The largest room of the house is a central living area with a double-height ceiling, exposed stone walls and a combined stove and seating area.

In contrast, the mezzanine floor above is surrounded by wooden floors, surfaces and furniture, and is used by residents as a library. A long desk runs along one side, creating a balcony study space with enough room to seat several people.

A total of five bedrooms are arranged in two groups, positioned at opposite ends of the house. Each has direct access to one of two new courtyards, plus bathrooms are located alongside.

The main dining room and kitchen sit alongside one another in one corner of the building, but also lead out to an outdoor dining area at the highest point of the site.

There’s also an outdoor swimming pool that offers views out towards the distant mountains.

“Throughout the work process the idea of contrast and surprise was always present,” added Branco. “An exterior that mimics the stony and massive surroundings is very distinct from the sober and very illuminated interior that offers a delicate unexpected encounter in contrast with the rough brutality of the circumambient.”

Other renovated Portuguese houses on Dezeen include a former poet’s house turned into a writers’ retreat and a stable building converted into a holiday home. See more houses in Portugal »

Photography is by Do Mal o Menos.

Here’s a project description from the architect:

House in Serra de Janeanes

The access area of this site is a welcoming space as the existing buildings and stone walls convert it in a confined and shady location. As you course along westward, the slope to reach the highest part of the garden is considerable. At this point, stripped of limits, the distant mountains are the only horizon.

The task consisted in converting the agricultural use buildings in a weekend home for a four generation family. Thus, the usual program of a single-family house: living room, dining room, kitchen and five bedrooms, is organised so that each space can be used with a degree of intimacy and independence. To this program was also requested the addition of a library.

The main areas of the house occupy the old corrals – four stony and dark volumes, with very occasional openings, adjacent amongst but with no communication between them, located at different levels and following the slope of the land with North orientation.

The project proposes two fundamental operations: first a new longitudinal axis that cuts across the various existing buildings, like a corridor carved in stone that unites the various spaces. Secondly, two new patios enable natural light to reach the innermost parts of the house.

The work is completed with an exterior dining area and a swimming pool located near the existing barn floor at the upper part of the land, taking advantage of the best views and most advantageous sun exposure. Throughout the work process the idea of contrast and surprise was always present. An exterior that mimics the stony and massive surroundings is very distinct from the sober and very illuminated interior that offers a delicate unexpected encounter in contrast with the rough brutality of the circumambient.

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by João Branco appeared first on Dezeen.

Lisbon architect Nuno Simões of DNSJ.arq has completed a series of staircases and walkways to allow visitors to explore a historic cave near Évora, Portugal.

The project, at the Gruta do Escoural at Montemor-o-novo in Portugal’s Alentejo region, involved replacing degraded existing temporary steps with a new steel structure with ipê timber boards.

In addition, the architects built a new anti-chamber to protect the entrance and control thermal exchange between the exterior and interior of the cave system.

The sensitivity of the limestone caves, which are noted for their Paleolithic-era rock-art and funerary graves, meant that construction techniques that might damage the sensitive historic site, such as welding or in-situ concrete pouring, could not be used.

The assignment was to build a new structure to replace the former temporary structure, which was in very poor condition, and a new antechamber,” says architect Nuno Simões of DNSJ.arq. “We decided that this structure should be opaque and black in sharp contrast with the light colour of the limestone cave.”

He added: “The main concerns of the structure to allow visitors inside the cave was to be able to run a clean and dry construction, considering the impossibility of using construction techniques that would require welding or in situ concrete and the use of enduring materials capable of withstanding the passage of time in a particularly hostile environment.”

Human remains dating back 50,000 years have been found in the caves. The earliest occupants were Neanderthal hunter-gatherers, and later it was used as a funerary site during the Neolithic era.

The project was commissioned by the Alentejo cultural department and completed in 2011.

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by Nuno Simões + DNSJ.arq appeared first on Dezeen.

Lisbon studio ARX Portugal has extended a secondary school in Odivelas, Portugal, by adding angular concrete structures amongst the existing classroom blocks (+ slideshow).

Caneças High School previously comprised a series of rectilinear two-storey buildings, each containing approximately 12 classrooms. For the extension, ARX Portugal sought to tie these existing spaces together with a network of pathways, courtyards and informal study areas.

“The proposal is structured [using] a double interpretation of the learning concept: formal learning and informal learning,” say the architects, explaining how they perceive their additions as “collective spaces” for group studies and activities.

The entrance to the campus is located on the east side, where a large concrete entranceway is imprinted with a selection of large letters and numbers.

A second entrance can be found along the south side of the complex and leads into a grass courtyard surrounded by arcades. These spaces are sheltered beneath angled concrete canopies, supported by a mixture of both regular and wonky columns.

New indoor spaces feature a monochrome colour palette and include a number of casual seating areas that bring activity into the corridors. There’s also a new library, student lounge and auditorium.

ARX Portugal also recently completed an extension to a maritime museum in Ílhavo.

The studio’s other projects include a top-heavy concrete and glass house and a residence with a gaping chasm through its centre.

See more architecture by ARX Portugal »
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Photography is by Fernando Guerra.

Here are a few more details from ARX Portugal:

Caneças High School

The existent school is located in the outskirts of Caneças, Odivelas, in a territory of intense discontinuities. The proposal is structured beginning in a double interpretation of the learning concept: formal learning and informal learning. Those two types are translated in the building in two different architectural approaches, maintaining a dialogue between them. In consequence, the stiffness of the existent blocks, where the classrooms are placed, are structured like “learning machines”, in contrast with the informality of the new parts, enabling the “informal learning” in the collective spaces.

Considering that in the school, every spaces are teaching spaces, that each one as its own importance, the organisation and articulation between spaces is meant to fluid, with physical and visual permeability, allowing a more spontaneous and creative appropriation, leading to the willing of learn through space.

The human relations and activities are, in the end, in the base of all knowledge. From a tectonic point of view, the solutions adopted give the building an idea of matter unity and grant the space an elementary and abstract character.

Owner: Parque Escolar EPE
Location: Rua da Escola Secundária, Caneças, Portugal
Architecture: ARX PORTUGAL, Arquitectos Lda. Nuno Mateus and José Mateus
Work Team: Ricardo Guerreiro, Fábio Cortês, Ana Fontes, João Dantas, Sofia Raposo, Mariana Sá, Emanuel Rebelo, Diana Afonso, Miguel Torres, Filipe Cardoso, Bruno Martins, Marc Anguill, Gaia Pelizzari, Rodrigo Henriques

Landscape Architecture: Traços na Paisagem
Graphic Design: Pedro Falcão
Engeneerings: SAFRE, Estudos e Projectos de Engenharia Lda; PEN Engenharia; CTQ, Lda.; SOLGEN; GEOTEST
3D Modeling: Traços na Paisagem

School Building: 11 600 m2
Total Intervention Area: 32 600 m2

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by ARX Portugal appeared first on Dezeen.