_DSC3489
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Beyond its scientific importance, the centre’s design has also caught the attention of architects around the world. The bid to design the site was won by Indian architect Charles Correa, who also designed the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The centre features a large interior rainforest connecting clinics and laboratories, chemotherapy suites with gardens, and many areas open for public use, including exhibition halls, an outdoor amphitheatre and landscaped walking areas. It is hoped that the location of the centre in the heart of Lisbon, as well as the openness of the site to the public, will encourage awareness of the centre and the Champalimaud Foundation, as well as the health and medical issues that their work is aiming to address.
_DSC3489
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Beyond its scientific importance, the centre’s design has also caught the attention of architects around the world. The bid to design the site was won by Indian architect Charles Correa, who also designed the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The centre features a large interior rainforest connecting clinics and laboratories, chemotherapy suites with gardens, and many areas open for public use, including exhibition halls, an outdoor amphitheatre and landscaped walking areas. It is hoped that the location of the centre in the heart of Lisbon, as well as the openness of the site to the public, will encourage awareness of the centre and the Champalimaud Foundation, as well as the health and medical issues that their work is aiming to address.