Casa Mirador / Matias Zegers

Curated by ArchDaily

Text description provided by the architects. At first glance, the pavilion displays an ambiguous form of vernacular construction and a deliberate modern building.

Settled in Casablanca Valley sitting on top of a hill, surrounded by vineyards and crowned by an old twisted mesquite tree, the building adopts the solemnity of an ancient settlement.

Two massive raw volumes are set apart by an equivalent vacant volume. The roof, a monolithic pyramidal shape, is carefully placed on top of the layered concrete walls, connecting both massive bodies.

The large terrace where the old mesquite tree stands is exposed to the vast and limitless views to the valley. An ellipse of stones and flowers delimit the near landscape where three concrete platforms emerges geometrically.

The rooms are organized in a sequence of contrasting spaces, each one offering different experiences and qualities of light.

The narrow entry patio, shaded by the tall walls, frames dramatic views to the sky. Moved by a soft wind, a light veil of water shimmers over a black concrete block .

The living space is subtly illuminated and intimate. A wide panoramic window frames the view to the vineyards.

Two wooden doors lead to the light flooded wine tasting room. A 6m cypress slab lies in front of floor to ceiling glazing which fuses the edge between in and out. The glass exposes the old contorted mesquite tree, like a relic in a museum display.

Perhaps the most expressive element is the sharp edged concrete slab which makes the roof seems like a weightless plate.

The last room to the east is the quincho, a walled patio with an olive tree in the center. A notch in the corner exposes the landscape and the distant city beyond the massive walls

To the south, the kitchen, a space the same size of the dining room has been pushed into the hill with a singular view to the vines below.

The concrete was made on site in small quantities, only enough to pour the footprint of each volume incrementally. When completed, the walls reveal the impact of the different weather conditions through out the construction process. The result is a layered, with light variations in color and texture, derived from a hand crafted process.