AQUIRAZ, BRAZIL 2008-2009 (with Paulo Maria Trindade & Luís Maria Gonçalves) 

The Congress Centre and Aparthotel projects constitute the central portion (Village Mall) of the Aquiraz Riviera resort on the Northeast Coast of Brazil, in the state of Ceara. The complex hosts a series of residential and hotel lots around a golf course and along the beach. The Congress Centre provides a multi-purpose hall of 30 x 60 meters and related service areas on a base on top of which a square of water is drawn, marking the entry into the Village.Over this square stands a roof structure, a thick roof partially opened, composed by several rooms for smaller events that overlook the main square. This operation allows to keep the surrounding streets’ visibility line free over the Village Mall public commercial area.

The Aparthotel is composed of two long bodies of broken geometry that bound a central garden where the pools and outdoor leisure spaces are organized. Both of these wings, beginning on the reception body that shares the main square with the Congress Centre, end very close to the beach, like two walls set on the landscape of sand and coconut trees. The ‘U’ geometry allows for the majority of apartments to have visibility over the beach and the sea, constituting, on the other hand, a protection against the permanent wind.