As one enters the city from the north, one notices an undulating building. The building is the result of a rigid commission, in which a specific programme that included certain peculiarities and a pre-defined maximum amount for execution of the building work were featured prominently. These constraints were decisive for the project’s conceptual genesis.The aim was to have a building destined for one larger commercial unit with the creation of a number of smaller shop/office spaces in an open place next to a roundabout that opened up the Praia Norte area.
The Areosa Commercial Building was inspired by the waves of the sea and the undulating marks left by the wind on the sandy beach. The facade’s materiality - light, sculptural and organic – was possible with a reduced budget thanks to the use of profiled, corrugated aluminium sheeting attached vertically. This made it possible to easily work on the curved forms that were strategically designed and mounted to withstand the strong winds. The design of the volume using the facade
material was decisive.
Pleasantly enough, the building gives off differing reading throughout the day depending on how the sun hits it and from where it is observed. The building’s base, with its orthogonal outlines, is marked by glassed planes which house the entrance. Freedom of use and a lack of sensitivity, to the detriment of architecture, lead me to believe that the right balance has yet to be found between the building’s use and how this project should be understood.
