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Architects: João Mendes Ribeiro
- Area: 618 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Alexander Bogorodskiy
Text description provided by the architects. Located on the banks of the river Vouga, about 500 meters away from São Pedro do Sul hot water spring, the original Roman Baths complex (built in AD 1) has kept most of its primitive structure to this day and was classified as a National Monument in 1938. Its long and varied occupation over the centuries left small marks that didn’t destroy the initial Roman structure: most of the Roman wall heights and the base of the vault ceiling are still visible. The project aim was to restore, rehabilitate and enhance the ruins and its surroundings, through minimal interventions for its use and correct perception. That was achieved by recovering the most significant characteristics of the Roman ambience - the scale, the light and the presence of water.
In the east volume, the original dimensions, constructive systems and traditional materials were recovered. The geometry of the façade was also recovered, namely the windows and the space between, by rebuilding the tumbled-down walls.
In the west volume, of Roman origin, the idea of a ruin was maintained both as an archaeological remain and as an exhibition item. The suggestion of form and scale of the Roman space is given by the restoration of the original height of the building as well as the construction of a brick vault, following the configuration and marks of the original Roman vault on the end wall. The new vault stands out from the existing walls, suspended from the roof without affecting the Roman walls. The original light-filled ambiance of the Roman Baths is restored with the introduction of overhead lighting through a south-facing lantern, bringing as much light as possible into the interior.
For the surrounding exterior spaces, existing elements, as the cold water tank and the swimming pool natatio, were restored, and the last covered with opus signinum, like in the Roman time. The reconstruction of the east volume was implemented in order not to touch the original edge of the natatio.
According to field surveys and it’s interpretation, carried out by Archaeologist Helena Frade, there was evidence of a peristyle surrounding the exterior natatio. The possibility of conserving and restoring the space of the peristyle led to the development of columns assemble project by landscape architect João Gomes da Silva, working with the fragments of the columns dispersed throughout the archaeological site. The assembly of the existing pieces followed the inventory and was completed with new elements, using the anastylosis process and the proportions and the entasis curve of Vignola's Treaty of Architecture. According to the Athens Charter, this assembly was made with clear evidence of the original elements and the new ones. In addition to the peristyle, a new external wall was added that emphasizes its the entrance.
The importance of water in the baths building is recaptured, becoming the central element of the space. This recovery is an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the Roman Baths, essential for understanding and reading the space. The water intake and piping system were recovered, so that there is a water circuit throughout the building, linked to the idea of a route, complemented by the reuse of the interior pool, exterior cold water tank and the natatio pool. The water assumes, therefore, a playful connotation, mingling with the history of the pre- existing building, in a new reading, based on visual and auditory relations, indicating directions or foreseeing spaces.
