Kindergarten in Atalaia

Gonçalo Neves Silva Arquitectos Associados, Portugal

The Kindergarten in Atalaia  is associated with one of the most emblematic monuments of Montijo, the 16th century Our Lady of Atalaia Church and Sanctuary. With unique, historic surroundings, the new building aims to maintain a simplicity of form so that the church can retain its prominent role. 

For the architects Gonçalo Silva and Nuno Antunes, it is all about the genius loci, the respect for the existing and its relation to the needs of the new reality. “For us, architecture is a passion, a vocation, a social art, and science. Space, light, order, simplicity, and clarity of forms are regulatory elements of the way we look at architectural design. Driven by an ideal of perfection, we listen to the silence of the existing spaces. Our creative philosophy reflects an ongoing dialogue with reality, with a day-by-day reinterpretation, from the consciousness of the material to the spiritual needs of our users.”

The innovative use for this space breathes new life into the daily routines of the people of Atalaia, where the present touches the past without conflict. The new building offers a main façade comprised of a single rectangular design where only the main entrance stands out: a door of stone from the original church.

The building was kept detached from the church’s south façade, which created a separated area marked by the presence of the bell tower and delimited between the architectural purity of the church’s façade and the proposed construction of a sober façade, balanced with vertical openings. This is an example of architecture that is truly harmonious.

Originally appeared in Modus News 5