Casino Park Hotel in Funchal, Madeira
The #modernmovement in architecture has been a point of reference for me, being among those architectural styles that, as a student, I was most exposed to. It comes as no surprise that #OscarNiemeyer was among the names that resonated loudly in the architecture school; ergo, when I got to choose my holiday stay in #Madeira, the #Pestana #Casino Park Hotel made it top of the list. Although I have always been visiting buildings and places of architectural interest and extensively studied the work of starchitects as part of my #education, this was the first time I have ever come this close to such an #iconic piece of #architecture, let alone to live inside one for a week.
The hotel is part of the Casino Park Resort, comprising of the accommodation block, the Casino of Madeira and the Congress Centre. The structures are located close to one another, with the hotel and the casino being physically linked by a curved, elevated walkway, that bridges the superior floors of the two buildings and doubles up as a canopy towards the #hotel entrance.
In 1966, Oscar Niemeyer has put forward a #designproposal for the #CasinoParkHotel and provided the client with 1:500 scaled plans and #perspective drawings, accompanied by a scaled model. Since he could not get to #Funchal to execute the project, the works were carried out with the help of #Alfredo #Viama de Lima, a #Portuguese architect who developed Niemeyer’s original idea and completed the hotel in #1976, despite the struggles with the lack of #skilled workforce and the revolution that began in 1974. Although Niemeyer has not signed off the #project and refused to take credit for it, his #style is clearly recognisable due to its iconic #curves and #brutalist elements.
At first glance, the accommodation block does not look exceptionally large, and it does not reveal its scale until you step down and head towards the reception. Once I got closer though, I could sense the weight of the volume that only rests on scattered pillars.
I have approached the building from the North side, from Avenida do Infante and I could not help but notice the floating #plain #façade, broken only by the verticality of the escape #staircase. At first glance, the #accommodation block does not look exceptionally large, and it does not reveal its scale until you step down and head towards the reception. Once I got closer though, I could sense the weight of the #volume that only rests on scattered #pillars. Not only this enables the block to align and merge with the #cityscape, but it gives the perception of #lightness and a see-through aspect, circumventing a fortress-like look from street level, which Niemeyer sought to avoid. The #rectangularfaçade plane extrudes in a curved volume, like a #parabola graph, which bends into the dense #sub-tropical landscape towards the #ocean.
The positioning of the five-storey accommodation block seems successful for unifying the building with its immediate landscape, num belo #parque junto al #mar (Simoes, 2012), while offering the #guests fabulous views of the #Atlantic Ocean on the #convex side and towards the gardens and the #baía on the #concave side. Despite the contrasting vistas along the West and East sides, all the rooms respect the 3x8.5m #plan module, which is reflected onto the façade by means of thick walls that follow the grid system, matching the exposed slab thickness. The façade #pattern is emphasised by the #loggia-like balconies, which allude to Le #Corbusier’s Unitéd’Habitation de #Marseille, but with tinted plexiglass balustrade panels. Inside the #balconies, the fenestration features a #red spandrel panel that once again subdivides the elevation, adding a touch of colour to the otherwise all-white building.
Terrace views - East façade
The lengthy #corridors in the accommodation floors are broken by the vertical circulation and snug areas that quarter seating and reading spaces, with large windows that beautifully frame the surroundings. These space divisions bring light into the otherwise dark corridors and provide #crossventilation, creating a comfortable #environment in the shared areas, comparable to the individual rooms. Although the dormitories were clearly superior to the ordinary hotel room, it felt like the #publicspace was given greater design consideration than the #sleeping quarters. This is noticeable from the lounge areas in the main #foyer, that are clustered together to promote small #gatherings, acting as tiny focal points in the extensive lobby, progressing towards the bar to converge into the cocktail #lounge. This, together with the restaurant, span across the various levels, between the entrance storey and the lower ground floor, flowing from the inside to the outdoor #terrace. Design wise, this arrangement is factoring great flexibility to accommodate multiple activities, from waiting, working, having food or drinks, as well as simply relaxing and enjoying the views.
Regardless of the few notes of austerity spawned from the rigorous geometry of the space, this felt like a warm and #sociable space, a sign that the #architects and #designers involved in this project have managed to design this building with the #end-user in mind, shaping the amenities so they respond to the various needs of the guests, while enhancing their experience.
Bar & Restaurant - The Panorâmico
By far, my favourite part of the hotel was the approach to the #Panorâmico. The curved #ramp follows the #organic theme and slides down along the bar zone, its movement followed by the framed glazed wall, gradually opening into a vast, two storey high space that offers uninterrupted views over the ocean. The #openness is amplified by the lack of visible support, the few columns being cleverly located along the glass wall, thus creating a truly remarkable area of 3500m2 without any #post to block the views. This was possible due to the numerous #engineered #solutions that involved #prefabricated hollow steel #beams with special metal #connection to secure the #steel into the #concreteframe, as well as thorough calculations for the #glazed façade to withstand various external conditions.
Oscar Niemeyer's distinct silhouettes inside the hotel
In the lobby of the hotel, there is a #display wall and stand dedicated to the architect of the hotel, inviting the guests to learn about the architecture of the complex, making them aware of why and how the resort they are living in was built. Among the initial #sketches the architect prepared for his client, Antonio #Barreto, there are copies of the #correspondence between the two, discussing the #appointment #conditions, the #designteam, and the #fee proposal, which I have found particularly interesting.
Hotel - Internal Staircase
The #celebration of Niemeyer’s architecture extends beyond the #reception area, as curated pictures and sculptures of his oeuvre became part of #décor the during the partial renovation of the hotel, carried out in 2007 by #Jaime #Morais. The Brazilian architect, who has been working closely with Pestana group on other projects, has managed to restore and preserve the #Niemeryan architecture. On one hand, he has cleared up the view, so the guests could see from the very entrance glimpses of the ocean, revealing the magnitude of the building. In this sense, I believe Morais managed to carry on Niemeyer’s mission of providing people with a sense of delight, promoting the #monumentality of the space. On the other hand, the design #intervention followed closely the original design of #Daciano da #Costa, maintaining the 70’s #furniture style, such as the #chrome and black leather #clubchairs and armchairs, set against expensive finishes and bold-coloured #upholstery in the #dining areas, as well as the original #Tripeça signature furniture line in the communal areas and the hotel rooms.
At the end of the day, the latest architect managed to complement the original design and maintain the #truth to #material approach of his predecessors, entwining the new, glossy #plastered finishes with sections of #exposed ceiling #joists and bare concrete walls. The few words I wrote don't do justice to its charm, as Pestana Casino Park Hotel in Funchal, Madeira is so much more, this only being a brief #portrayal, my thoughts on the first encounter with such an iconic place. Considering, it would be interesting to know if there are other people here, like me, getting excited about buildings, about exploring and going the length and breadth of certain places in the pursuit of the #genius #loci. So please, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
References:
O Nosso Niemeyer - Our Niemeyer Edição Comemorativa dos 100 Anos de Oscar Niemeyer, Carlos Oliveira Santo, 2007
Portugal e o modelo brasileiro - relação arquitectónica entre aproximação e contemporaneidade: Oscar Niemeyer e Paulo Mendes da Rocha em Portugal, A.R.Simoes, 2012
Daciano da Costa : designer, J.P. Martins & A.S. da Silva, 2019
Brutalist Architecture - The complete guide, A.S. Lucia, 2022 via https://monograph.com/reference/guide-to-brutalism-and-brutalist-architecture
Oscar Niemeyer, J. Glancey, 2007 via https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2007/aug/01/architecture
Cultura Madeira - FOCUS: Freedom day via https://cultura.madeira.gov.pt/en/john-dos-passos-news/3251-focus-freedom-day.html
Traços de Niemeyer na Madeira, 2012 via https://www.tsf.pt/vida/artes/tracos-de-niemeyer-na-madeira-2930579.html
Atlantic Arches—An Icon of Modernist Architecture at the Bay of Funchal, via https://www.thedashingrider.com/oscar-niemeyer-modernist-architecture-casino-hotel-funchal-madeira/
Pestana Parc Paradise (Humane Architecture), ThinkTech Hawaii, 2021 via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf5IRbM74Ug
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