João Cassiano Santos – Portugal

Desde las primeras fases del diseño el concepto fundamental es el matrimonio entre el tradicional Palacio y los anexos contemporáneos. Utilizando un criterio único de análisis para juzgar ambas arquitecturas, Cassiano define qué demoler y qué construir. “En Portugal, así como en otros países europeos, los edificios antiguos son algo con lo que nacemos, no es necesariamente vivir vidas pasadas; por tanto este ‘Palácio’ de 1857 fue parte de los ingredientes que necesitaba para hacer un espléndido hotel de 2004 (…) la cultura local atrae turistas más refinados y alojamientos de mayor nivel. En este hotel el diseño respeta, de un modo contemporáneo, la atmósfera del Mediterráneo que yo recuerdo de mi niñez en el Algarve”.

ESTALAGEM SÃO DOMINGOS
João Cassiano Santos (Arte Tectónica)
Colaborators: Luis Maria Gonçalves/ Ana Rita Gama/ Frederico Durão/ Paulo Gomes/ José Marteleira/ Tânia Oliveira Engineers: Fernando Rodrigues/ Jorge Lemos/ Pedro Correia/ António Trindade/ Cristina Cascais/ Joaquim Marques da Silva/ Carlos Fafaiol Landscape Design: Julio Moreira Interiors João Cassiano Santos/ Ana Rita Gama Construction date: 2002-2004 terrain surface: 13845 m² built surface: 4375 m² Location: Mértola, Portugal Photos: Miguel Coelho



Texto original en inglés::

The design brief was a 5 star hotel with 30 bedrooms and one quality restaurant, made out of the old building, locally known as “Palácio” due to its size, dominant location and interior decoration.
Additionally I had to build a low maintenance Hotel, with long lasting furniture and equipments. The surrounding silence was one of the values to be sold to clients.

The marriage between the traditional “Palácio” and the contemporary look of the new addition was a founder concept, explained and approved since early stages of design.
Excluding heritage monuments and archaeological sites, our office states a design attitude that judges past and contemporary with the same analysis criteria, to define what to do and what to demolish.
In Portugal as in other European countries, past constructions are something we are born with, not necessarily to live yesterday’s lives, so this 19th century “Palácio” (1857) was part of the ingredients I needed to do a 2004 fine hotel, ESTALAGEM SÃO DOMINGOS.

I firmly believe that local culture attracts finer tourists and a higher type of hosts. In this Hotel the design follows, in a contemporary way, the Mediterranean atmosphere that I remember from my childhood in the Algarve. This refined South is the main impression I want the guests to come away with, it means a spacious geometrical and warm colour environment, in contrast with white fractioned walls, shadowed when necessary and perfumed by season flowers.
The Estalagem São Domingos is designed to serve the “refined South” in a visual, skin and tasteful emotion served with a proud hospitality attitude.

João Cassiano Santos architect OA 2792