The Observatory of Decay. The Fortress of Cresmina Art Gallery.

Laying on the edge of Land, for years affected by winds, rain and storm waves, the Fortress of Cresmina is in a state of gradual decay, Rather than trying to preserve the ruin, the design leaves the fortress untouched, surrounding it and contemplating its slow degradation.

At first, the building stays almost unseen for an arriving visitor, who finds himself led by a gentle ramp and a concrete wall emerging along the slope. He can see the ruin from a distance, however, cannot experience it yet. After entering the building the wanderer encounters a view of the endless horizon, through a glazed wall in the reception and restaurant area. Later, during perambulating the gallery, the path gets darker and darker, whereas the building immerses gradually into the ground. The surrounding concrete walls lead the wayfarer into the depth of the slope. After a while, the concrete wall ends, and the wanderer can feel the coolness of a stone around him – he realises that he had already left the building and found himself in a cave illuminated by skylight. He can hear the wind blowing and see the rain flowing inside by the opening in the roof. He feels that he has almost reached the end of his journey. At the end of the cave he encounters a staircase carved in the rock. He follows it, and as he gradually climbs the stairs, he can hear the gulls screeching and wind howling more and more clearly. Suddenly, he gets struck by a ray of light and a gust of wind. He looks around, startled by the view around him. He realises that he stands right in the middle of the decaying ruin, surrounded by the stone and wind, water and moss, being just as exposed to the external factors as the walls of the Cresmina Fortress. Now he understands this place. I have spent a part of my education in Portugal where I was startled by a totally different understanding of the landscape. Before, I have usually treated locations as something rather flat, only later I understood that landscape is a complex feature that needs just as complex approach. I wanted to explore more of what I have learned from the Portuguese architects and try to do a project which would derive from its location and consider it as its main feature.