Gruta Do Escoural
GRUTA DO ESCOURAL
Nuno Simões + DNSJ.arq
ARCHITECTS
Nuno Simões + DNSJ.arq
PHOTOGRAPHS
Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
YEAR
2011
LOCATION
Santiago do Escoural, Portugal
CATEGORY
Cultural Architecture
Text description provided by architect.
The assignment was to build a new structure to replace the former temporary structure which was in very poor condition and a new antechamber.
The antechamber, needed to control the thermal exchanges, was tougt like a new “perfect rock” among the others existing ones.
The main concerns of the structure to allow visitors inside the cave, was to be able to run a clean and dry construction.
Considering the impossibility of using construction techniques that would require welding and / or in situ concrete and the use of enduring materials capable of with standing the passage of time in a particularly hostile environment.
We decided that this structure should be opaque and black in sharp contrast with the light color of the limestone cave.
