Gouveia Law Courts | Barbosa & Guimarães Arquitectos

Gouveia / Portugal / 2011

117
117 Love 15,623 Visits Published
Gouveia Law Courts Restricted Competition, 1st Prize Gouveia, entry “Door” to Serra da Estrela, is going to be served by a Law Court. The land set aside for construction is located between two public gardens, at the end of Rampa do Monte do Calvário, replacing an existing building. The project takes advantage of the demolition of the existing building, which occupied the intire plot, to design a new Plaza, with the scale and dignity to receive the Law Court. In dialogue with the granite walls that define its surroundings, the Plaza takes on the form of a bottling of stone, upon which the building rests. The building, set on four pillars, ensures transparency and connection between the two gardens that delimit it to the north and the south. The dignity and symbolism that a building like the Law Court should always have, is achieved at the cost of the monolithic and singular character that the volume of white concrete acquires, above all in the expression of its compact elevations, with empty spaces deeply «excavated», as if suspended over the Plaza. A staircase of generous proportions opening onto a patio honours access to the Court floor. The lobby/foyer crosses longitudinally the entirety of the building, communicating directly with the garden to the north, establishing a relationship of closeness with the tops of the existing trees through a horizontal empty space. In the volume, the courtroom stands out, with a set of vertical skylights that subtly light the whole space. The registrars services, which operate independently, are installed in the filled part of the building, open to an interior patio which communicates directly with the north garden. The project foresees a public car park, hidden under the plaza, with access from the adjacent streets. Photos by © Fernando Guerra | Sérgio Guerra © José Campos Moreira
117 users love this project
Comments
    comment
    user
    Enlarge image

    Gouveia Law Courts Restricted Competition, 1st Prize Gouveia, entry “Door” to Serra da Estrela, is going to be served by a Law Court. The land set aside for construction is located between two public gardens, at the end of Rampa do Monte do Calvário, replacing an existing building. The project takes advantage of the demolition of the existing building, which occupied the intire plot, to design a new Plaza, with the scale and dignity to receive the Law Court. In dialogue with the granite walls...

    Archilovers On Instagram
    Lovers 117 users