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- Landscape laboratory, Cannatà&Fernandes arquitectos
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The project is centred around an old industrial building in an important natural context, south-west of the historical centre of the town of Guimarães, declared a national nature reserve (REN).
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The architecture firm of Fátima Fernandes and Michele Cannatà won the competition called by the municipality as part of Guimarães 2012 European Capital of Culture, creating a new landmark and maximising the landscaping as much as the building.
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The structure houses an observatory of cultural, art and landscape relations for designers and urban planners, and has turned into their permanent laboratory.
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The characterising element is the façade looking over the Ribeira de Selho river, where the old stone bridge becomes the link between different eras, between construction and landscape.
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Stone is the best preserved material in the old building and white concrete has been used to cover the original, extremely dilapidated brickwork.
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The architects restructured the building without denying its past, only adding a new roof and a new layout for the interior. The result is a warm space that does not hide its contemporary imprint, giving a new dimension to this part of the town.
LOCATION: Guimarães, Portugal
DATE: 2010-2012
AUTHORS: FÁTIMA FERNANDES E MICHELE CANNATÀ, http://cannatafernandes.com
TEAM: RICCARDO CANNATÀ, DARIO CANNATÀ, BRUNO SILVA, MARTA LEMOS, NUNO CASTRO, FRANCISCO MEIRELES, JOÃO PEDRO MARTINS
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: GOP – JOÃO MARIA SOBREIRA
HYDRAULICS: GOP – RAQUEL FERNANDES
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: GET – RAUL BESSA
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: GPIC – ALEXANDRE MARTINS
ACOUSTICS: INACOUSTICS - OCTÁVIO INÁCIO
LANDSCAPING: ATELIER BECO DA BELAVISTA - LUÍS GUEDES DE CARVALHO
PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS: LUIS FERREIRA ALVES, DARIO CANNATÀ, PEPE BARBIERE
CLIENT: CÂMARA MUNICIPAL DE GUIMARÃES
CONSTRUCTOR: COMBITUR – Construções Imobiliárias e Turísticas, S.A.