AFONSOGONÇALVES
ARCHITECTURE | DESIGN | VISUALIZATION
2014
Guimarães, Portugal
LIBRARY IN GUIMARÃES (Work in Progress)
In 2014 a design competition was launched in Guimarães for converting what used to be a textile factory into a large library. As it appeared to be an interesting exercise and one I had not yet had the opportunity to design, I decided to participate.
The design I proposed was to salvage as much as possible from the existing buildings since they already met the space requirements for the library and the structure was still in good condition. I also wanted to keep the industrial aesthetics and the rhythm created by the existing concrete structure so in terms of interior works I wanted to keep the intervention to a minimum and rely mostly on ephemeral and pre-fabricated elements that could be easily changed over time, which in turn would also lower the construction costs. The area where the intervention was greater was on the rear facade which was in a very poor condition and needed some work done to and on the roof to demolish some existing structure and to create large opening to bring natural light to the dark interior.
The rightmost part of the building houses the main entrance where we also find a large auditorium and the library's administration services. On the lower floor there is room for a large archive as well. The larger building, which used to be the main body of the factory is entirely dedicated to the library with plenty of room for reading and studying areas and on the top level for media and workshops rooms.
At the rear the long building would be a multi-purpose building which could easily be adapted for office spaces or exhibition areas with a restaurant at one end and another auditorium at the other.
TAGUS THEATER
Lisbon, Portugal
2007
The theater is formed by two curvilinear shapes intended to articulate the Pombaline Lisbon, on the side of Praça do Comércio, and the Baroque Lisbon on the side of Casa dos Bicos and Campo das Cebolas, assuming as the boundary between these two eras a line crossing Madalena Street. Although the Theater is opened during the day is only at night that shows take place. During the day, the inside of the Theater would be appropriate for exhibitions or simply for people to circulate. Additionally to this proposal it also became necessary to renovate the current Cais de Alcântra in order to adapt its formal characteristics to those of the Theater. The main change occurs in the design of the docking bays for the boats that make the crossing between the two banks.
On the exterior I wanted to experiment with the idea of a skin or membrane wrapping the entire theatre with the purpose of concealing its true form. The intention was to have a surprise effect to people who observe it from the exterior and then, afterwards, observe it from the inside. Much like in a theatre play where the curtain is the element that separates reality from illusion this membrane would likewise separate the urban reality around the building from the drama that occurs therein.
Another idea I toyed with was to use light, both natural and artificial, in a way that expressed the dynamic of the building. During the day, zenith natural light would flood the interiors making them more appropriate for exhibitions and circulation. At night, darkness and dim artificial lights would turn the interiors into mysterious spaces. In fact, certain areas of the theatre would only be accessible at night, further adding to the feeling of mystery and discovery. These areas could be used as meeting points for visitors and/or as performance areas for small plays, mingling theatre and real life in one common space.