Dezeen Magazine

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Registry Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Five existing concrete kiosks in Madeira have been wrapped in volcanic basalt and overlapped by the walls of a new registry office.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

The kiosk blocks have been refurbished to provide enclosed meeting rooms and bathroom facilities for the open-plan office designed by Portuguese architects Duarte Caldeira.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

One block contains a staircase and lift that descend into an underground car park below.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Timber columns surround the entirely glazed building facade, landing on the roofs of kiosks that interrupt the walls.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Floors and surfaces inside the office and archive are finished in black granite, while timber panels cover the ceiling.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Other recently featured offices blocks include a translucent training centre in Italy and an office building for Singapore that resembles a giant periscope - see all out stories about office buildings here.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Photography is by Joao Morgado.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Here are some details from Duarte Caldeira:


Registrar Office of St Vicente, Madeira, Portugal - Duarte Caldeira

Situated on the northwest coast of the island of Madeira, Portugal, in an extensive river valley, it is near the centre of a small coastal rural village, nestled between the region’s natural landscape, which extends towards the area where the building is located.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Standing on top of an underground car park, the new translucent building allows an influx of natural light and the view of the impressive surrounding high and rugged green mountains.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

It is a wooden and glass structure arranged on top of various rectangular shaped concrete boxes, previously used as kiosks in the urban park.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Instead of demolishing the existing small buildings to make room for the new one, it was decided to use some of them as part of the new building, and also keep the original staircase and lift which gives access to the car park located below.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

The design program of this public services’ building is a simple one. It houses an open space office and workspace for the registrar office personnel, an archive area and a main private office, a meetings room and a reception counter for the general public.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

The volume of the new construction is larger and taller than the others and is intersected by some of the existing volumes which are now covered in grey volcanic basalt stone, the local most common stone.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

It was built as a structure of metal beams with flat cover, clad with natural heat treated wood. In the interior, the black granite flooring, window frames and counter, make a contrast with the wooden ceiling and the outdoor metal pillars which sustain the construction.

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Project Name - Registrar Office of St Vicente
Architect: Duarte Caldeira
Location: S.Vicente, Madeira, Portugal

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Project Team: Duarte Caldeira, Filipe Clairouin, Roberto Castro
Structural Engineers: Casca Lda
Lighting: Fernando Sousa Pereira

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Project Year: 2008
Start and Completion Dates - November 2009 / May 2011

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

Contractor: Tecnovia S.A.
Project Area: building 420m2, site 3360 m²

Registrar Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira