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Alfama Public Library
Alfama Public Library
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Alfama Public Library
Type
This site was very unusual in that it sloped very dramatically in two different directions. The slope running from the front to the back of the site was nearly 45 degrees. In order to deal with the topography, my group broke our building into several blocks fanning off of a central tower and fitting into the hill. In fact, the shape of our building is an abstraction of the shape of the hill, being denser and heavier on the back and right side of the building (if viewing from the front), where the hill is the tallest.
Our method of dividing the building into stacking blocks allowed us to have various entry points addressing the streets both at the top and the bottom of the hill, as well as a plaza located midway up the hill. We also were able to utilize the roofs of the building as green roofs and hardscape terraces. All of the blocks are connected to a central circulation tower, which grounds the building and gives it a greater presence on the street.
The building is concrete masonry on the sides that are embedded into the hill, but the remainder of the facades are glass, with the blocks being covered by a perforate copper skin. The skin allows the blocks to appear solid from the exterior, therefore separating them in appearance from the glass circulation tower, but is still transparent enough that the people inside can see out. Each of the copper panels is also operable, and can be opened to allow for greater light penetration.
The dimensions of the blocks in elevation are based on a 1:2 proportion, but in some cases this does not follow through in the plan. In these cases, a material change where the blocks “crash” into the tower preserves the 1:2 proportion.
Many of the details of this building were based off of the history and lifestyle in Lisbon. For example, the 1:2 proportion of the blocks was chosen because this is the proportion governing the layout of LIsbon’s grid. Also, we chose copper for the skin not only for its warm color but also because it is mined in Lisbon, and metalworking is an important industry.
Our method of dividing the building into stacking blocks allowed us to have various entry points addressing the streets both at the top and the bottom of the hill, as well as a plaza located midway up the hill. We also were able to utilize the roofs of the building as green roofs and hardscape terraces. All of the blocks are connected to a central circulation tower, which grounds the building and gives it a greater presence on the street.
The building is concrete masonry on the sides that are embedded into the hill, but the remainder of the facades are glass, with the blocks being covered by a perforate copper skin. The skin allows the blocks to appear solid from the exterior, therefore separating them in appearance from the glass circulation tower, but is still transparent enough that the people inside can see out. Each of the copper panels is also operable, and can be opened to allow for greater light penetration.
The dimensions of the blocks in elevation are based on a 1:2 proportion, but in some cases this does not follow through in the plan. In these cases, a material change where the blocks “crash” into the tower preserves the 1:2 proportion.
Many of the details of this building were based off of the history and lifestyle in Lisbon. For example, the 1:2 proportion of the blocks was chosen because this is the proportion governing the layout of LIsbon’s grid. Also, we chose copper for the skin not only for its warm color but also because it is mined in Lisbon, and metalworking is an important industry.
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