☉ Lisbon Open Room is an honour mention proposal by Ernesto Urquizar Carlos Soria and Federico Del Rio for Archmedium designed in 2014. It is located in Lisbon Portugal in an old town setting. Its scale is medium. Key material is concrete. Concepts such as vault platform and plaza are explored. Review the 2 proposals for the same competition.
An empty space, a full space.
Alfama
A bridge between the current Lisbon and its history, a spring of water and winding paths surrounded by fado and saudade. The dialogue between the cultural and architectural heritage context, the place and the sea is respected by a large void that fills the square, perforated only by an space carved out in the calçada portuguesa, conceived from the courtyards of the Sao Vicente’s church. The nature of Alfama builds this void which creates a new connexion refused until now. A piece of the Arab Lisbon, bathed of crooked ways, wants to penetrate deeper into the ground in order to generate new activities which can be overlaid on each other by following the natural relationships that flow within the Campo of Santa Clara.
Water and light
In pursuit of a sky, a vaulted space provides a roof for this void excavated below the Chafariz, spring water of Alfama, born of the portuguese architecture and the Cisternas which have punctured this place for centuries, pervading the reflection in the water of its streets forever.
A large void over the emptiness. A plane mirrored indefinitely.
The nature of Alfama.