Stone Courtyard
A small exhibition pavilion assembled from local schist and untreated oak.
Introduction
A pavilion for a regional collection of ceramics, placed at the edge of a working farm. Four walls of stacked schist define a courtyard; the exhibition rooms occupy two of its sides. The remaining sides are left open to the field.
The challenge
The collection needed stable, low-light conditions in a landscape of extreme heat and glare, on a budget that ruled out full climate control.
Our approach
Thick stone walls do the work that machinery would otherwise do. Rooms are lit from the north through deep reveals, and the courtyard acts as a thermal buffer between the visitor route and the galleries.
The outcome
Interior temperatures hold within a four-degree band across the year. The pavilion is closed for two months each summer and needs no active conditioning for the rest.
Project details
- Alentejo, Portugal
- 2024
- Cultural
- 410 m²
- Completed
- Architecture, Spatial Strategy, Art Direction
Gallery
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