Espaço de Apoio à Visitação | Sérgio Ferreira Arquitetos

The Visitation Support Space project was developed based on an old primary school, more specifically a primary school from the years of the Estado Novo.
From a preliminary stage of the process, more specifically after the visit to the site, it was thought to be crucial to maintain the pre-existence as much as possible, so that the intended program for the building fits into this space.
Thus, there was a need to make some changes to the existing building. It was therefore proposed that some demolitions be carried out, namely the storage spaces, the porches and the sanitary facilities, these being clearly spaces for expansions after the initial date of construction of the building.
With the demolitions, the historical and architectural character of the building was not compromised. Therefore, it was decided to maintain all the stereotomy and materiality of the building and in the expansion to make a difference through the choice of materials, namely cork as an external coating with a pattern of different dimensions both in height and thickness. The choice of this material was also thought of as an allusion to the cork boards that were used in schools for placing drawings, notices, attendance sheet, among other elements that they thought to be relevant at the time.
At the programmatic level, the proposal was designed as follows, the existing building housed the users' private spaces (bedrooms and sanitary facilities on each side of the building, reception, access stairs and storage in the central space and on the 2nd floor, bedroom and storage also in each side of the building), the building to be enlarged but still "attached" to the existing building was placed the common space (leisure area) and in the other part to be enlarged but separated by a glazed volume, the refectory, support sanitary facilities to the public, entrance area, canteen counter, kitchen and respective support compartments.
Being a building from the Estado Novo period, a symmetry was observed that marked both the main elevation and its division into "Male Sex" and "Female Sex", a point that we thought it interesting to maintain, opting to maintain this division by placing the bedrooms (which function as wards, on the basis of bunk beds) and the sanitary facilities for each gender, that is, each gender in a part of the building, with the reception as a "kneecap" connecting the spaces.
The bunk beds used are totally individual with an independent point of light and electricity.
The project sought to foster the relationship between the users of the new space and the local community, through the improvement of the space to the north, where there is a small volumetry for worship and the synergy of the building and the new outdoor spaces.
The architectural value of the pre-existence was incorporated in the conception of the new use. Functional reconversion does not “erase” the memory of the existing building, but enhances its presence in the urban landscape. An old primary school becomes a multifaceted space with a project / work that aims to be the motto for the revitalization of an area / parish peripheral to the urban center of the municipality.
Despite the new use, the historical value was preserved. The original property had its fundamental elements preserved, such as the main façade and its distribution.
Both in the design and in the choice of materials, we tried to intervene in a simple and clean way. Formally, the proposal is based on a simple language using the smallest number of materials, and all the materials chosen were designed in a close relationship with the former use of the building.