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Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter by Spaceworkers

Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter by Spaceworkers is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award i Guld in Arkitektur-, Bygnings- og Konstruktionsdesign Competition Category.


GuldArkitektur· 2020

Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter

by Spaceworkers

Client: Spaceworkers

A' Design Award i Guld Winner in Arkitektur Category

Colors

The Design

About Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter

Fortolkningscentret for Romansk Kunst er et udstillingscenter beliggende i landsbyen Lousada i Portugal. Bygningen består af syv volumener i ubehandlet beton af forskellige højder, og hvert volumen udgør et separat udstillingsrum. En central hal dækket med glas forbinder volumenerne og fører til deres indgange. Kontrasten mellem den lyse hal og de mørkere udstillingsrum guider besøget. Hvert loft nyfortolker en tagtype fra den romanske arkitektur. Betonfacaderne med trætekstur minder om stenen og træet i ældre lokale bygninger.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Guld

Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter er vinder af A' Design Award i Guld, en uhyre prestigefyldt anerkendelse, der tildeles førsteklasses, vidunderlige og fremragende designs. Guldvinderne er yderst innovative, højt visionære og glamourøst blændende skabelser, der afspejler deres designeres geni, visdom og dygtighed. Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter forventes at være en højt rost, trendsættende og monumental opfindelse, der leverer hidtil uset værdi. Dette design, der har vundet A' Design Award i Guld, er et spektakulært, respekteret projekt, som i høj grad gavner og flytter grænserne for kunst, videnskab, design og teknologi. Interpretation Centre of Romanesque Udstillingscenter skaber intense følelser af begær, vækker passion, opmuntrer kreativitet og fascinerer os.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The building is composed by seven apparent concrete volumes with different heights.Each one represents a distinct exhibition space.To explore the relation between them,it was created a central body covered by glass that procedes them entries.This central space explores the contrast bright/dark between it and the exhibition spaces.Therefore, the building tries to be contemporary without forgetting the important Romanesque past, creating an atmospheric symbiosis between this different times.
Dimensions & Packaging
1580m2 - 57000 mm x 30000 mm x 15000 mm
Tags
Romanesque, concrete, architecture, Volumetric, interpretation, concrete volumes, Interpretation centre of the romanesque, Unity within diversity, Portuguese romanesque, Romanesque route,
Production Technology
In a clear allusion to the past constructions, which was built using the local materials like stone and wood, here we use the stone of our days, the concrete. The wood-texture on the concrete facades mark the straight connection that this kind of architecture established with the surrounding nature.
Design Challenge
One of the most challenging things of this design was the impact on the center of the village during its construction. The build is very auster, like all of the architecture of the romanesque period, and in the first instance this austerity was not being welcomed. Now with the building completed they full understand his meaning and the building is much loved for the whole population .
Research
The project seeks for a close relation between the old romanesque architecture and the architecture of nowadays. During the concept fase were study all of the Romanesque typology present in the region extracting of this research the most easily recognised elements of this architecture for transposing them into a contemporary building.
The final design seek for a contemporary approach of this Romanesque elements that allow people to immediately recognise that this new build as something to do with the old romanesque buildings.
Once inside, the scale, the light and the proportion of the spaces was also based on the old romanesque buildings, remind us the ancient Romanesque construction.
Inspiration
Based on the concepts of Romanesque architecture in Portugal, the building aims to be a transitional element between the present and the distant past. In an austere way, the volumetric proposed contains the principals of unity within diversity, appearing under the form of several volumes with different heights and dimensions, demonstrating the diversity that Romanesque buildings have left us. Therefore, each volume ceilings reinterprets one of the roof types used in Romanesque architecture.
Project Duration
The building is located in the village of Lousada that belongs to Oporto district. Is is located in an area that is an expansion of this village ant it is marked by a strong relationship with an urban square called Praça das Pocinhas and withe the Senhor dos Aflitos Church - a strong reference in the town center. The project concept started in 2011 and and the construction was finished in 2018. It is open to the public since september 2018.
Operation Flow
The entire exhibition was designed to promote the interaction of the public, making them feel an integral part of it. The visitor is required to interact with the exhibition in order to obtain more information and deepen his knowledge of the different terms on which the exhibition focuses.
Patents
spaceworkers
Team Members
Principal Architect: Henrique Marques
Principal Architect: Rui Dinis
Architect: Rui Rodrigues
Architect: Rui Miguel
Architect: Sérgio Rocha
Image Credits
Main Image #1 : Fernando Guerra FG+SG
Optional Image #1 : Fernando Guerra FG+SG
Optional Image #2 : Fernando Guerra FG+SG
Optional Image #3 : Fernando Guerra FG+SG
Optional Image #4 : Fernando Guerra FG+SG
Video Credits: Building Pictures

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