The Art and Archeological Museum in Vale do Coa, Portugal by CVDB Arquitectos is an entry for an International Public Competition hosted by the Portuguese Archeological Institute. The project is located on a relatively secluded landscape and creates a establishes a strong connection between the natural and built forms on the site.
More on this project after the break.
The project celebrates the territory character through a strong relation between landscape and built elements. The building is sited near the slope highest point.
The Museum is a large stone body that inhabits the site as it projects itself above the landscape. The patio is the core of the museum, the public space where the spaces are intertwined as the architecture opens itself towards the landscape.
At night, the weightlessness of the raised massive body is suspended by the light that comes from within the building glazed façade. It gives the illusion of the museum being the only entity on the landscape.
Architects: CVDB Arquitectos Location: Vale do Coa, Portugal International Public Competition: 2nd Prize Client: Portuguese Archaeological Institute Construction Area: 6,000 sqm Estimated construction cost: 15,000,000 euros