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Architects: Luís Rebelo de Andrade
- Area: 1760 m²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
Text description provided by the architects. The Horse Riding Centre has a very rich history, related to the region of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and the people of the land's passion for horses and equestrian sports. It is also the history of one of the best showjumping courses in Europe and its relationship with the Pedras Salgadas Park, as hot spring tourism thrives. And it is also a history of setbacks. The decadence of the Riding Centre is gradual but, since the '90s, it has been increasing to the point where it seems irreversible.
Renovation works began in 2013. Times have changed and also the users' needs. Spectators are no longer a very narrow privileged class, and the modernization of the entertainment industry has brought democratization of access to goods. The new international rules for competitions have required a major overhaul. The need to make the Riding Centre profitable demanded a rethinking of the model for obtaining income, based on the very low seasonality of show jumping competitions. 32 boxes and a riding arena were built.
The new buildings aim to dialogue with the pre-existing ones and with the surrounding nature. The boxes, for example, are covered with cork panels. In addition to being a local resource, the cork will acquire textures and tones similar to those of the surrounding trees as it ages, blending organically into the landscape. But the most emblematic example of this invisibility architecture is the riding arena. All covered with logs, it seems to have been adopted and embraced by the vegetation that surrounds it. The logs and the time will allow the flora to absorb it completely, eventually taking it as its own.
