The architects of the Portuguese firm Pitágoras Architectos have designed a Platform of Arts and Creativity for their home city. The nomination of Guimarães, situated north of Porto in the province of Braga, as European Capital of Culture 2012 prompted the transformation of the market place into a central multi-functional public space.
This installation by Leo Lindroos from Finnish architecture firm MOOK mimics the warm orange glow of a sunset to send viewers into a relaxed and sleepy state by boosting their melatonin levels. Visitors to the installation sit on a bench facing a wall of copper tiles. Behind them is a tank filled with soapy liquid that simulates the soft light of a sunset and converts a blueish beam of light into a soft orange light.
Scandinavia's flagship of sustainable construction is a swimming hall in Pori with prepatinated copper facade panels which collect solar energy for heating the swimming hall and pool. Invisible integration of collectors behind the copper facade panels provide thermal energy without any compromise to the visual appearance of the building.
Stone, copper, and glass are the elements which bring this project to fruition. The volume of the auditorium becomes a prominent issue, turning it into the main piece of the whole set, whose cover presents a structure made of successive rows of copper shells, which offer a dynamic image.
