Museu dos Coches By Paulo Mendes da Rocha + MMBB Arquitetos + Bak Gordon Arquitectos
14/10/2015.
[Lisbon] Portugal
metalocus, CELIA RODRÍGUEZ
metalocus, CELIA RODRÍGUEZ
The new museum to hold the exhibitions of eighteenth century cars belongs to Paulo Mendes da Rocha + MMBB Arquitetos + Bak Gordon Arquitectos is proposed in a dual-mode, with a main pavilion that seems to float in the air, and an annexed volume of concrete that attempts to dialogue with the vernacular architecture of the area. The building is located in a square, leaving space for easy pedestrian access through passages.
Description of the project by Paulo Mendes da Rocha
A project for the new facilities of Museu dos Coches, poses two basic questions.
On the side of Museology, basic criteria for exhibiting remarkable heritage; on the side of Urbanism, the implementation of a monumental venue, supported by the government project “Belém Redescoberta”.
In terms of museology, the project adopts a policy centered on the idea of ultimate preservation, forever, a stored treasure and, at the same time visited. Considering the visit under all possible forms of development in relation to the historical memory as an intellectual construction in time. Art and technique in constant progress. Exhibitions and workshops, changing scenarios. Virtual sound and images associated with original objects.
In terms of Urbanism, an available space committed to the integrity of the enclosure, especially with the existent flow of tourists, which will surely increase with the emergence of this new vitality.
Two events should be noted here: the circulation of pedestrians in the sequence of the Calçada da Ajuda to the gardens along the Tagus (overlapping Av India, Av Brasilia and the railroad) and the set of preserved buildings (Belém Redescoberta) along R. Junqueira street, which is configured as an area of museums to the back, the antique Cais da Alfândega Velha street with great charm.
It encourages the initiative of local and small businesses. These are the root of the project, which now, along with drawings and photographs of the model, is presented. This is not to underestimate the program established with all its functions and areas, as well as the budget allocated to this project. These are given, say, unquestionably.
As shown, the construction is proposed dual mode, the main pavilion, a suspended ship for exhibitions, and an annex which includes a reception, administration, restaurant, auditorium and a public Tejo walkway to strategically strengthen the circulation through ramps. This peculiar spatial arrangement creates a portico with links between the two buildings at the entrance to a small, internal plaza, where you get to the preserved buildings in R (a new front). Junqueira now opens to the enclosure so that eventually there are small cafes, libraries … in what was once R. Cais Alfândega Velha street, an interesting recomposition of the same thing. One might note the dimensions of these spaces and their dialogue on the dynamics of passers-by inside and out, in full; the museum as a public place. Strictly protected and unpredictably open.
In addition to the security steps required by law, we adopted all access through special hydraulic lifts, ensuring control of the capacity of the exhibition spaces taken. We made special emphasis on safety and comfort, plus the support for Museum employees. For children, there is a reserved special area in the terrace of the museum, with a garden in the front row next to the access of visitors to the exhibitions. In front of the opposite side of Afonso Albuquerque Square in the same public esplanade, there is a popular bar with character, open with sidewalk tables.
We would also like the highlight the link between the exhibition area and the administration. Overlooking the Tajo. Very useful for services in general, for security policy. And the wide view of the elevated restaurant, to the Atlantic, to the Jeronimos, the administration turned to the river, towards the inner square, to the Museum Gardens.
The building is defined by the reinforced concrete foundations, with a relative concentration of the loads, as recommended by soil conditions, supporting coated steel trusses, configuring the great walls of the museum.
For parking, we excluded the design of an underground parking due to groundwater, drainage of the esplanade and large earth movements, which would mean to accommodate a lean program and harm the tranquility of the enclosure. We suggest an elevated parking lot near the barges for 400 vehicles and a small occupation in the territory. It could then be repeated as a prototype in the Belém Redescoberta project.
São Paulo, may 28th, 2008
Paulo Mendes da Rocha
CREDITS. TECHNICAL SHEET.-
Architects.- Paulo Mendes da Rocha, MMBB Arquitectos, Bak Gordon Arquitectos
Collaborators.- Edison Hiroyama, Giovanni Meirelles, José Paulo Gouvêa, Luís Pedro Pinto, Pedro Serrazina, Marina Sabino, Nuno Velinho, Rui Cancela, Sónia Silva, Vera Higino, Walter Perdigão. Technical consultans. Foundations, Structures, Building Services, Hvac, Thermal, Acoustics, Security.- AFA Consult – eng. Rui Furtado. Landscape.- Proap.
Enhibition project.- Nuno Sampaio.
Signaling.- António Queirós Design.
Project Coordinator.- Armando Vale.
Construction Coordinator.- Nuno Costa.
Client.- Government of Portugal.
Area.- Exhibition pavilion area.- 15.603,3 sqm, annex.-3200,5 sqm.
Dates.- 2009- 2015.
Location.- Museu dos Coches, Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, 1300-004 Lisbon, Portugal.
The studio Bak Gordon Arquitectos was founded in 2002 by Ricardo Bak Gordon (1967). He graduated in 1990 at Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. During his studies he also attended Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto and Politecnico di Milano. He is currently a visiting professor in the Integrated Master Degree (MSc) in Architecture at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Lisbon., among others.
He was the author of the Portugal Pavilion in ExpoZaragoza 2008, of the Portugal Pavilion in São Paulo Biennial 2007 and of the exhibition project in the first edition of Lisbon International Architecture Trienal 2007. His work as an architect was presented in different exhibitions. He was a nominee for the Mies van der Rohe prize in 2009 and 2011; winner of the FAD Prize 2011 (Barcelona, Spain) and BIAU Prize 2012 (Cádiz, Spain). He was one of Portugal’s representatives at the Venice Biennale in 2010 and 2012. The members of the team in Bak Gordon Arquitectos are José Pedro Cano, Luis Pedro Pinto, María Manuel Barreiros, Nuno Costa and Walter Perdigão.
MMBB Arquitetos was founded in 1991 as a result of the association of the architects Fernando de Mello Franco, Marta Moreira and Milton Braga, graduated in the FAU-USP (FAU) between 1986 and 1987. The association with engineering consultancy companies has been characterized by the development of infrastructure urban designs such as bus station terminuses and corridors, underground garage, highway toll places, pedestrian walkways, etc. The continuous collaboration with the architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha since 1995, in its turn, offers the opportunity to develop large scale designs to institutional and governmental bodies intended to cultural and educational activities and buildings to cater for the sector of services. Marta Moreira teaches in the School of the City and Milton Braga teaches in FAU, where he developed several researches about urban design and his master degree (1999) and doctorate (2006).