Boa Nova Tea House, Leca da Palmeira, Portugal


  • Date
    12/15/1990 (creation)
Related person
Timothy H. Crowther (was created by)
Date
Project inception: 1958; Completition: 1963; Restoration: 1991
Description
"The Boa Nova Tea House was designed following a competition held in 1956 by the city council and won by Portuguese architect Fernando Tavora. After choosing a site on the cliffs of the Matosinhos seashore, Tavora turned the project over to Alvaro Siza, who was working under Tavora at the time." The Tea House is deeply integrated into its site, and the project is primarily about "building the landscape' of this marginal zone on the Atlantic - through a careful analysis of the weather and tides, existing plant life and rock formations, and the relationship to the avenue and city behind." Siza reinforces the site integration and his organization of spaces with a diverse use of materials: "a diversity of materials come into play: white-plastered masonry walls, exposed concrete pillars on the west-facing facade, and an abundant use of the red African 'Afizelia' wood in the cladding of the walls, ceilings, frames and furniture. On the outside the facing of the projecting eaves is made with long wood boards trimmed with copper flashing. The roof is a concrete slab covered by Roman red terracotta tiles and by a wood suspended ceiling." All quotes from: http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/boanova/ Keywords: Portugal, Leca da Palmeira, Atlantic, Modernist, tea house, restaurant, stairs, entrance, entry. Submitted by Timothy Crowther, recipient of the 2005 Whitaker Travelling Fellowship.
Style/Period
1960s (1960 - 1969)
Modern
Material
concrete