Polígonos
KWY.studio (Ricardo Gomes with Ruggero Agnolutto, Rebecca Billi, Sara Cálem and Virna Koutla)
ARCOLisboa, Restricted Competition
Lisbon, Portugal
The west courtyard of Lisbon’s Cordoaria Nacional was designed as long rectangular void, bookended by two stone staircases. The original monumentality of the elongated space, marked by the symmetrical rhythm of doors and windows, has since been disrupted by the single storey constructions built along its central axis. At present the space only suggests those characteristics thus our initial strategy was to occupy as little space as possible and to avoid breaking up the patio even further while simultaneously attempting to restore the original spatial character.
The brief was to provide a pavilion which would host private and public facing catering facilities and provide shade for visitor’s to Lisbon’s ARCO art fair. We set out to simplify the programme and separate it into three versatile yet distinctive spaces: a dining area, a place for resting and a leisure area. These three zones were defined by three simple geometric forms (an Octagon, a Hexagon and a Circle), which offer in distinct ways specific qualities to each of these spaces: shaded and sunlit areas, sheltered and exposed, dry and humid, at ground level and higher up, allowing for views over the ensemble.
The Hexagon, the red volume of the bar, is the central element of the proposal and establishes a symbolic symmetry through replicating the existing staircase. It structures the intervention and allows for a somewhat intimate area for resting, with a more secluded zone at the mezzanine level and an amphitheatre on the opposite side. The volume is visible from both entrances to the patio, it divides the space and simultaneously contradicts this condition by creating new visual connections and surprising perspectives.
To the west, an elegant cruciform steel structure suspends a Circular cerulean canvas, silhouetted against the blue sky. This canopy offers a little shade during events that take place between the two staircases, as well as a recreational area – the ring contains a series of sprinklers that create a refreshingly humid zone that can entertain the younger visitors. In the east, a similar structure is positioned this time suspending an Octagon, a yellow awning of more generous proportions which shades the dining area facing the bar. The Octagon and Circle are light structures levitating over the space that create both positive and negative forms – they can be read as cut-outs of the sky above between the facades of the narrow courtyard, or lightly coloured geometric projections on the stone floor that iconographically differentiate the spaces.
KWY.studio (Ricardo Gomes with Ruggero Agnolutto, Rebecca Billi, Sara Cálem and Virna Koutla)
ARCOLisboa, Restricted Competition
Lisbon, Portugal
The west courtyard of Lisbon’s Cordoaria Nacional was designed as long rectangular void, bookended by two stone staircases. The original monumentality of the elongated space, marked by the symmetrical rhythm of doors and windows, has since been disrupted by the single storey constructions built along its central axis. At present the space only suggests those characteristics thus our initial strategy was to occupy as little space as possible and to avoid breaking up the patio even further while simultaneously attempting to restore the original spatial character.
The brief was to provide a pavilion which would host private and public facing catering facilities and provide shade for visitor’s to Lisbon’s ARCO art fair. We set out to simplify the programme and separate it into three versatile yet distinctive spaces: a dining area, a place for resting and a leisure area. These three zones were defined by three simple geometric forms (an Octagon, a Hexagon and a Circle), which offer in distinct ways specific qualities to each of these spaces: shaded and sunlit areas, sheltered and exposed, dry and humid, at ground level and higher up, allowing for views over the ensemble.
The Hexagon, the red volume of the bar, is the central element of the proposal and establishes a symbolic symmetry through replicating the existing staircase. It structures the intervention and allows for a somewhat intimate area for resting, with a more secluded zone at the mezzanine level and an amphitheatre on the opposite side. The volume is visible from both entrances to the patio, it divides the space and simultaneously contradicts this condition by creating new visual connections and surprising perspectives.
To the west, an elegant cruciform steel structure suspends a Circular cerulean canvas, silhouetted against the blue sky. This canopy offers a little shade during events that take place between the two staircases, as well as a recreational area – the ring contains a series of sprinklers that create a refreshingly humid zone that can entertain the younger visitors. In the east, a similar structure is positioned this time suspending an Octagon, a yellow awning of more generous proportions which shades the dining area facing the bar. The Octagon and Circle are light structures levitating over the space that create both positive and negative forms – they can be read as cut-outs of the sky above between the facades of the narrow courtyard, or lightly coloured geometric projections on the stone floor that iconographically differentiate the spaces.
