Untitled
Apr 17, 2002 12:00 PM
| RTKL International Ltd. One South Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (t) 410-528-8600 (f) 410-385-2455 www.rtkl.com |
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Size: 451,095 sq. ft. Category: New Centers Firm: RTKL International Ltd. Developer/Owner: Sonae Imobiliaria |
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 AlgarveShopping
is an outdoor retail and leisure center that draws heavily on the
styles and motifs of traditional southern Portuguese architecture. The
project features integrated cloisters and canopies in traditional
vernacular style, creating a protected pedestrian environment while
allowing shoppers to experience the outdoor ambiance of a traditional
town center. The design concept embraces the Moorish aesthetic,
incorporating this influence and traditional folk patterns into the
design.
Graphically, the project is divided into different zones, identified by typical "folk" patterns adapted from the patterns on Algarve fishing boats, ceramic pots, and amphora, which were produced locally and used as icons throughout the scheme. Sculptural finials on the parapet walls continue in the folk tradition, with flamed torches, fish, shells and pomegranates. The Moorish influence is expressed by the water features and fountains, some of which are colorfully glazed. The exterior areas are tiled in a terracotta grid with carpets of colored glazed tiles inserted across key areas. Traditional calcada stone block paving surrounds the central court with patterns of marine life. The Food Court, decoratively treated in
terrazzo with patterns of geometric fish, continues the marine motif.
The design develops a theme involving shoals of fish with individual
fish, selectively located to be discovered in the pattern while
dining.
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