Architects: Joao Costa Nóbrega, Arquitecto
Area: 2196 ft²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Henrique Seruca, João Costa Nóbrega
Manufacturers: Balneum Design, Exporlux, JNF, REHAU
Lead Architect: João Costa Nóbrega
Consulting Engineers: Tekk / Eng Pedro Costa Pereira
Engineering for Installations: Fevin / Eng Francisco Vieira
Engineering: Caego, Lda / Eng Miguel Caires
Program: Gallery for exhibition of private collection of contemporary art
City: Câmara de Lobos
Country: Portugal
Lourdes Gallery, designed by João Costa Nóbrega, Arquitecto, in Câmara de Lobos, Madeira Island, houses a significant private contemporary art collection. Part of the Quinta de São João rehabilitation, the project integrates a 17th-century chapel, a partially converted warehouse, and agricultural elements. The gallery respects the site’s landscape and incorporates energy self-sufficiency features. An underground volume preserves the vineyard-dominated view, blending with the surroundings as concrete textures mature. The gallery’s neutral space, illuminated by skylights and photovoltaic panels, supports art conservation, with a small lake patio enhancing its ambiance.
The need to house a significant private contemporary art collection dictated the program for the new project, which is part of a series of rehabilitation interventions planned for the Quinta de São João in Câmara de Lobos.
The Quinta, an iconic Madeiran property with an agricultural tradition, includes a house with some prior renovations, a 17th-century chapel, a small cattle shed, and a warehouse partially converted into an Artistic Residence with a cellar and winepress for producing the Quinta’s wine. The steep slope accentuates the presence of vines planted on trellises, known locally as Latadas, offering a panoramic ocean view and highlighting the elevation rather than an aerial perspective.
The preservation of the humanized landscape in the high areas of Câmara de Lobos, combined with the integration of technical solutions to make the Quinta self-sustainable in terms of energy, guided the initial approach that defined the implementation of the gallery.
The idea that a new building wouldn’t need to appear on the farm emerged as the most suitable solution, utilizing an existing program that allowed for its implementation.
The vineyard’s presence dominates the view of the Quinta and was imperative to maintain from both a landscape and agricultural perspective. Therefore, a volume was created by incising the grounds, restoring them to their original dimensions. This camouflages the building, allowing it to be enveloped again by the trellised vines.
The exterior, initially visible, will mature as the exposed concrete textures assimilate the surrounding colors, darkening in shaded areas and maintaining youthfulness on exposed surfaces.
Through an outer antechamber that remains completely enclosed when not in use, visitors enter a “bunker” where zenithal light unexpectedly filters in through three skylights. Externally, these skylights are equipped with numerous photovoltaic panels, crucial for powering the ceiling and floor radiant systems necessary for the proper conservation of artworks. The space is neutral, with artificial lighting minimized to complement the diffused light from the skylights and the light from the “patio” designed with a small lake, enhancing the sculpture installed there.
Adjacent to the outdoor technical area, the exhibition space acquires a desired “patine” on the exposed concrete, enriched by lateral light reflections. The exhibition area includes restrooms and a 204 sqm interior storage area within the 5,880 sqm property.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Estr. João Gonçalves Zarco 496, 9300-027 Câmara de Lobos, Madeira Island, Portugal
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
