thirteen blue doors provide access to this bamboo art gallery in brazil

this gallery in the grounds of a hotel in brazil allows visitors to experience art within a serene and natural setting. constructed as part of an eco-building cooperative that was aided by CRU! architects, the project sought to provide training and job-development for a deprived community. after the realization of a nearby community center, commissions were sought outside of the village of camburi in order to generate an economic return for the parties involved.

all images © nelson kon

CRU! architects, led by sven mouton, was approached by the hotel fazenda catuçaba who wanted an art gallery immersed in nature that could host a variety of changing exhibitions. the brief called for a design that would mediate between its two neighboring structures — a colonial farmhouse and a communal space built by an amazonian indian tribe. consequently, the scheme’s exterior features the white walls and blue doors typical of the colonial portuguese style.

surrounded on three sides, the courtyard at the center of the gallery contains a small fountain that returns water back to the adjacent river. thirteen doors allow vistors to enter the gallery at a variety of different points, while maintaining a sense of transparency. the entire bamboo-structure was executed by the local cooperative, while the brickwork, excavations, and foundations were carried out by local workers from the farm on which the hotel is located.

‘the gallery is entirely based on the golden proportion — the width and height of the different parts correspond to the rules set by the greek and roman architects such as vitruvius,’ explains sven mouton of CRU! architects. ‘it is meant to be a humble construction that fits the colonial style of the surrounding, but that also refers to the occa nearby. since art can be considered sacred, the spiritual language of a monastery arch-way was used to house the exhibitions. in the original sense a gallery was a covered walk or passageway, narrow and partly open along a wall.’

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project info:

name: art gallery catuçaba
location: catuçaba, estado são paulo, brazil
completion year: 2018
gross built area: 110 sqm / 1,184 sqf
architect: CRU! architects
lead architect: sven mouton
other participants: emanuel rengade (client — hotel fazenda catuçaba), community eco-building cooperative of camburi (bamburi), paulo campos (co-contractor)
photography: nelson kon