The mass is defined by the context in its distances, alignments, and proportions. The program determines the project; a meeting centre for large gatherings or small groups. The ceiling, in its variation and geometry, responds to the program. A complete horizontal clarity outlines the space as a whole, which opposes the weight of the vertical voids with atmosphere. Support functions deepen the external and peripheral wall. The final image is determined by the interaction of internal space and occupied façade.
The construction assumes itself as a compact mass, with a trapeze-shaped plan in which both sides are defined by the alignment of the streets surrounding the corner building and by the orthogonal mesh of the block’s occupied lots. The project establishes a straightforward relation with the exterior, on a pedestrian level, presenting a glass surface around its perimeter.
As an elderly meeting center, it is a building fundamentally connected to society. It establishes a bridge between different users of roughly the same age, assuming itself as a place of meeting and communal interaction for the residents of Santa Casa da Misericórdia and other non-resident users. The building is multipurposed, able to host not only the day-to-day activities, but also festivities and other exceptional events.
Through the simplicity of its program, the function of the resulting building is very clear. Main entrances face the Miseridórdia block, where windows face the street. On street level, with no architectural obstacles, the building includes a multipurpose room, an area for exhibitions, a cafeteria, and supporting sanitary facilities. These spaces have a double height ceiling, and present themselves as autonomous volumes within a single circulation space and foyer that fuse in and with the meeting areas.