Suspended Matter Box Felgueiras, Oporto Building, Portuguese Architecture Photos

Suspended Matter Box, Felgueiras

4 Jun 2020

Design: MMVarquitectos, Architecture Studio

Location: Felgueiras, Porto, Portugal

Suspended Matter Box in Felgueiras, Porto

SUSPENDED MATTER BOX

Can an architectural contemporary volume be a good neighbor to rural surrounding?

This request had everything to be straightforward. MMVarquitectos were to do a remodeling and amplification project of a restaurant. It looked like a simple thing to do (and quite a secondary one, regarding our other assignments), but in short time two aspects came to surface that would rapidly change our thoughts.

One was the fact that MMVarquitectos had to work upon an existing, contemporary project in the first stage of its construction, and the other one, relates with the location. Felgueiras rural milieu is typified by a mixture of traditional old housing amongst agricultural fields and small backyards.

So, it became a challenge that would require a very well thought-off alteration, a sensitive landscape integration, and a general concept approach that would provide meaning to it all.

The client’s main intention was for his business to turn a well-known space for relevant events in site and surroundings. Having this important principle in mind, MMVarquitectos reinforced its outstanding position in the terrain giving even more expression to the rectangular original volumes.

This basic assumption alone was very positive for it brought more flow to the creative process. Light entries, footbridges and exterior arrangements managed to maintain the geometrical purism and contrasting personality but did it in dialog with natural matter.

However, the main charismatic element, to which the architects refer to as landscape-ceiling, lies in the main events area. All the space creation is based upon a suspended element made of flexible metallic knit.

This thin transparent net represents the wind, its fluxes and intensities, bringing dynamics to a very wide, dull ceiling. It became the ex-libris for being so artistic and unique, but at the same time, neutral enough to serve all purposes.

The accesses by corridors and stairs are somewhat extensive as well, so the architects opted to give it balance through rhythm and alignment, either horizontally or vertically, using construction solutions or coatings, sometimes only ending outside in the exterior gardens.

MMVarquitectos are absolutely convinced that this new space has everything to play an outstanding role to all it will host in the future, without losing its boldness and timelessness, and therefore representing a success to the construction owner.

Getting to an unrepeatable and singular architecture, is to accept the restlessness each project brings in the search for a specific result and not only a solution.

In many ways matter was this assignments main inspiration and the landscape ceiling (or suspended matter) that very same specific result.

Suspended Matter Box Porto – Building Information

Location: Felgueiras, Oporto, Portugal
Client: Columbinos Restaurant
Program: Event Space
Indoor Area: 670 m2
Outdoor Area: 6100 m2
Date: 2020

Architect: Miguel Marques Venâncio, MMVARQUITECTOS
Collaborators:
N. Zakrzewska (project, digital images)
I. Feio (digital images)
P. Bartkowska (drawings)

Photography © Ricardo Oliveira Alves | www.ricardooliveiraalves.com

MATTER from Ricardo Oliveira Alves on Vimeo.

Suspended Matter Box, Felgueiras, Oporto images / information received from Ricardo Oliveira Alves / MMVarquitectos

Location: Porto, Portugal, southwestern Europe

Portuguese Architecture

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Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon
Design: AL_A

photo courtesy of architects
Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon