MUSEO DO FADO

PROJECT NAME
Museo do Fado

TYPE
Museum

LOCATION
Lisbon, Portugal

YEAR
2016

STATUS
Competition

SIZE
1500 sq.m.

DESIGN TEAM
Tomas Umbrasas, Aidas Barzda, Tautvydas Vileikis, Rokas Kontvainis, Justė Surplytė

THE CONCEPT
The main project idea stems from FADO and the feelings it revolves around – fate, sorrow, happiness, melancholy, passion, regret, homesickness, intimacy. Our vision was to guide the visitor through the ‘saudade’ of FADO. We believe these feelings (or senses) can be translated by vertical movement, interchanging of open spaces into closed intimate ones. An ensemble of museum buildings creates a narrative for visitor. As one feels mundane on the ground floor, moving down, around a huge pit in tall narrow space would arouse senses of melancholy and homesickness. The pocket square with intimate garden in the lower level symbolizes concentration, tranquility and serenity, where one can hide from city noises and focus on its own thoughts. While the leaning tower with a viewing platform on the top guide visitor toward the hope and new horizons. The quality of light and space within the levels helps to convey the meaning of FADO.

VOLUMES
Museum is composed of three elements – rectangular pit, exhibition cube and leaning tower. All three – raw geometrical forms, clearly stating – they ‘root out’ of simple marginal people, joined by FADO. A leaning ‘melancholic’ tower stands out in the cityscape to provide the views towards the sea as an allusion of farewell to those who sail away. Its silhouette and façade shivers emphasize the feelings of hope and sorrow. While the cube, assuredly standing on the ground, represents a shelter, a home, a safe place to return to.

SITE PLAN
The complex is located parallel to the southern buildings and the sea. The rectangular planar shape forms two triangular open squares for outdoor activities (market, open air performances, etc.). The museum is placed in underground levels to maintain open squares on ground level as well as to keep visual axis from ‘miradouro’ towards the sea. The tower highlights the main entrance from the square. The pocket square in the lower level arouses curiosity looking down to the pit. Inside – small garden surrounded by tall walls and just a peak of the skylight above creates a feeling of intimacy.

FUNCTION AND FLOWS
Through the tower entrance at the ground level, the visitor is guided towards the museum block via a bridge over the pit. The bridge transforms into narrow staircases around cube building, that connects not only upper square with pocket courtyard, but also all the museum block floors from the outside. All the required functions are based in the museum cube building. Once passed the reception the visitor is invited to see two exhibition halls occupying both floors and connected by spacious round staircase. An open outdoor staircase leads down to labs (-2), auditorium and restaurant in lower ground floor, where visitors can enjoy a pocket square with a small garden. The inner functional core connects all levels as well as offices (-1, -2) and deposit in the -4 floor. The pocket square also works as extension of the exhibition space for outdoor performances, auditorium and restaurant when needed.The ramped tower connects the entrance, lower ground floor and viewing platform at the top. It represents the essence of FADO, there for, functionally it is open to public at all times and becomes an additional tourist attraction.

MATERIALS
Two basic materials define the complex: a white concrete and the traditional tiles (‘azulejos’). ‘Azulejos’ cover the whole upper square and the pit with its floor and walls. While museum volumes – leaning tower and the exhibition cube – are made entirely from white concrete to highlight their raw geometry. Fundamentally azulejos, likely depicting numerous fado performers, symbolize the ‚foundation‘of tradition on which the modern concrete structure („the society“) is built. Joining them is the small garden in the pocket square, which symbolize the third element of the complex – the nature.

The pocket square with intimate garden in the lower level symbolizes concentration, tranquility and serenity, where one can hide from city noises and focus on its own thoughts.

A leaning ‘melancholic’ tower stands out in the cityscape to provide the views towards the sea as an allusion of farewell to those who sail away.

Our vision was to guide the visitor through the ‘saudade’ of FADO.

Drawings

Gallery

…the feelings it revolves around – fate, sorrow, happiness, melancholy, passion, regret, homesickness, intimacy.

Map