Memorial

The Memorial is a building in honour of a member of the client's family, the former owner of the land, set in a valley near Alcobaça. More than a building, it is a contemplative space that embraces nature, designed for reflection, introspection and the encounter between people and the landscape.

The central idea is to connect past, present and future in an organic way. The walls of the old office, where the person being honoured spent much of his time, are kept as a ruin that nature will gradually reclaim. The journey begins there: visitors cross the ruin and, among newly planted trees, follow a ramped path to the new building, which winds along the shape of the land.

The building is drawn as two circular forms. In one, a single tree seems embraced by the concave wall and marks the arrival. In the other, a viewpoint open to the landscape, partly covered by a canopy, holds a semicircular bench that invites visitors to pause and contemplate. Solid brick, natural clay tiles, crushed brick and a permeable path create a bond with the earth and with simplicity, so that the construction blends into the landscape.

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