The realization of DOURO INTERNATIONAL MODERN ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM in Bemposta and the outward arrangements of the public surrounding area, before even establishing a construction moment within a collective memory place, of production process related to hydroelectric profit works made between 1953-1964, proposes itself as a requalification moment of an urban core of a rural community that wants to keep local tradition alive, not as a static memory but as an evolutive construction material of life quality of his inhabitants.
The projected building stands out of the envolvement both material and volumetrically. Formalized from a rigorously geometric piece, the parallelepiped, to wich we take out the negative that provides the emergency stairs system in West front, and project a "mouth" openned South as an entrance to the museum.
The museum searches for an implant within a preexisting logic, levelling the main front to the square through preexisting constructions and recovering the foundation of the building that was to be demolished. This abstract piece establishes a direct relation with the square through the only big empty space that, besides being an entrance, turns out to be an exterior windowshop of this museologic space as well, functioning as an "animated screen" on the inside. The building reveals to be a container that accumulates foressen functions developed in vertical through 5 floors, one of wich stands below the square quota.

AUTHORS
FÁTIMA FERNANDES AND MICHELE CANNATÀ

COLLABORATORS
ANDRÉ LIRA
BRUNO SILVA
MARTA LEMOS
NUNO CASTRO

STRUCTURES

WATER AND SEWAGE NETWORK

MECHANICAL INSTALLATION AND EQUIPMENT
GET - ALFREDO COSTA PEREIRA

ELECTICITY, TELEPHONES, DATA PROCESSING AND SECURITY

OHM-E - FERNANDO SILVA

LOCATION
BEMPOSTA. MOGADOURO. PORTUGAL

DATE OF PROJECT
2003

1st Award given by the competition jury