Brazilian studio Bernardes Arquitetura has restored an 18th-century home for the Albuquerque Foundation in Sintra, Portugal, introducing dramatic roofs and galleries with a “semi-buried space”.
Close to Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, the Sintra area is known for its historic architecture, winding roads and verdant greenery.
Here, Bernardes Arquitetura was tasked with turning a quinta – a family estate – into gallery spaces for the Albuquerque Foundation, which showcases historic and contemporary ceramics.
“The existing residence was restored and adapted to accommodate a restaurant, library, shop, and guest accommodations for artist residencies,” studio founder Thiago Bernardes told Dezeen.
“A big intervention in the 1990s had already replaced all original craftwork and drastically changed the facades, so there wasn’t really a historical concern regarding our concept.”
Bernardes Arquitetura has added two buildings to the grounds, one that holds the permanent collection and the archives, and one that shows modern ceramic designs by artists such as Theaster Gates.
For the main gallery, which was designed to house historic pieces, Bernardes Arquitetura chose to take advantage of the estate’s sloping terrain to create a space that is partially hidden.
“Due to the site’s natural topography, the steep slope suggested the possibility of using the level change to create a semi-buried space,” said studio partner Thiago Moretti.
“This solution made it possible to hide most of the program and make the intervention feel lighter, allowing for the central house to stand out and keeping the idea that you’re in a historical ‘quinta’,” Moretti added.
“What appears to be a basement is, in fact, level with the main garden, creating a sense of surprise. The building offers a pleasant way to move between the gardens while discovering the history and beauty of this remarkable collection.”
This main gallery is distinguished by a large, sculptural roof that creates shade and forms a striking contrast to the historical building next to it.
“The roof is a lightweight structure that mirrors the natural slope of the terrain, reaching out toward the quinta’s entrance to create a welcoming covered plaza,” explained Bernardes.
“It gently guides visitors toward the reception and gallery without competing with the notion of the quinta and is an important transition at the beginning of the promenade that reveals the whole project,” he continued.
The gallery is built from concrete, with a ground floor that has floor-to-ceiling glass walls, creating the illusion that the roof is floating.
Upon entering, visitors are led down a monumental spiral staircase into the underground exhibition hall.
Here, the Albuquerque Foundation showcases pieces from its collection of Chinese ceramics, which comprises more than 2,600 objects, including some from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
This underground floor, which has openings out to the garden, also holds the Albuquerque Foundation’s archive spaces.
“Programmatically, it made sense that the permanent collection was located in the main building, so we wanted to take advantage of the heavy concrete structure, which really gives the feeling of a safe room for these delicate pieces,” Moretti said.
“The canopy over this gallery and the temporary exhibit pavilion are, on the other hand, pretended to be light and just hanging over the terrain, in contrast to the existing building, which is stone-based with strategic openings to the garden,” added Moretti.
“This way we thought we could respect preexistences and be bold at the same time.”
Bernardes Arquitetura also designed a gallery space for temporary exhibitions, which sits in the Albuquerque Foundation’s garden at the bottom of a hill.
This pavilion features a streamlined design that evokes traditional Japanese buildings, with an overhanging roof that rests on pillars, forming an engawa-like space.
“Metal structure, glass, wood, and stone define both buildings, creating a subtle architecture that is durable, suited to high turnover, integrated with the outdoor areas, and warmed by the presence of wood,” Bernardes said.
“Our architectural approach prioritises materials that not only endure but also evolve beautifully with age, a constant pursuit in our work.”
The completed project, which occupies 4,000 square metres of the 12,500-square-metre site, was designed to take visitors on a journey.
“The project was shaped from the creation of a journey, carefully designed to enhance the local architecture and lead visitors to discover these different times and cultures,” Moretti concluded.
“The project is conceived as a spatial journey – an architecture that unfolds through a carefully crafted path designed to highlight the local architecture and guide visitors through a journey of discovery across the different temporalities and cultures revealed along the way.”
Bernardes Arquitetura has previously topped a Rio de Janeiro villa with a wing-shaped roof and renovated Rio de Janeiro’s beachside Hotel Arpoador.
The photography is by Fernando Guerra.
Project credits:
Architect: Bernardes Arquitetura
Landscape design: Topiaris
Lighting design: OH-M
The post Bernardes Arquitetura crowns underground gallery with cantilevered roof appeared first on Dezeen.
Leave a comment