GREEN IN THE GARDEN

Pavilion in the Garden is a multipurpose event space that sits on a former parking lot in the green outskirts of the Portuguese village of Sobrado. Looking to capture the 'essence' of the area, Spaceworkers created a glazed, column-free interior intended to feel like an extension of the surrounding landscape.

"The search for essence can be understood as the attempt to understand and express the true nature of something, in this case, the relationship between man, nature and architecture," Marques from Spaceworkers explained.

Formed of two offset concrete blocks containing visitor facilities and services, these support a large gridded canopy punctured by square skylights, which sits over a central events space. Full-height, sliding glass doors wrap the events space, while the canopy and stone floor extend outwards to create a sheltered terrace around its edges.

"We were able to have a perception of lightness in the building, further accentuated by the apparent fragility with which the heavy slab rests on a very occasional contact with a pillar, freeing the entire room from any structural elements," said Marques.

"This lightness and feeling of integration helps reduce the project to its most basic essence, which in practice are two dominant materials in a volumetric composition where the balance of the elements is the dominant element," he added.

While the roof has an exposed, board-marked concrete finish, the supporting volumes and a slender vertical column have been clad with green, marble-effect ceramic tiles. A bar stands at the southern side of the central area, while to the east a recessed serving counter with a pizza oven is lined in matte gold-coloured panels.

"The choice of materials was based on two aspects, the first related to the reduction of long-term maintenance – the raw materials, such as concrete and the ceramic coating of the facade, do not require much maintenance beyond their spot cleaning," said Marques.

"The second aspect is related to the attempt to integrate the built mass into the natural context, so that the building blends in with the surroundings, thus reducing its impact despite its scale," he explained.

Location Porto, Portugal

Architect Spaceworkers

Images Fernando Guerra