154 Mark 70 Long Section Ramos Castellano Arquitectos Mindelo — São Vicente — 155

Eloisa Ramos and Moreno Castellano.

Island Spirit

Eloisa Ramos and Moreno Castellano designed a hotel for hikers on the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente.

Text and photos Sergio Pirrone 156 Mark 70 Long Section Ramos Castellano Arquitectos Mindelo — São Vicente — Cape Verde 157

The Terra Lodge Hotel is situated on a The entrance gate is made hill on the outskirts of Mindelo. of recycled metal cans.

Almost

600 km west of the African coasts of Senegal, on a surfboard. Ramos is Cape Verdean, born ten black stone tips emerge from the deep on the neighbouring island of Santo Antão, the blue sea, like obsidian hardened and polished most north-western of the Barlavento group by the warm Saharan winds. The two groups and a growing tourist destination. of islands – Barlavento and Sotavento – that While São Vicente, dry and constantly together form the Cape Verde archipelago, are whipped by strong hot winds, has a shaggy shaped like a handheld fan. and yellowish vegetation because of the Cape Verde is home to architects lack of rain, Santo Antão, only 15 km away, Eloisa Ramos and Moreno Castellano. They mountainous and surrounded by gorgeous met in early 2000, at the University of deep ravines, is quite damp and green. in Portugal, when they were studying Every year Santo Antão attracts thousands architecture. They became a couple and of tourists who want to experience the embarked on a journey that took them first to wonderful hiking trails in its dramatic coves. Florence and then to Los Angeles. In 2003, they But the tourists arrive on São Vicente first, landed in Mindelo, port city of the island of São because it has the airport. Typically, they will Vicente. Castellano originates from Sardinia, stay there a few days, enjoying the greater an island in the Mediterranean Sea, and was cultural identity and the deserted beaches, looking for a life where freedom and wind meet before taking the ferry to Santo Antão. → 158 Mark 70 Long Section Ramos Castellano Arquitectos Mindelo — São Vicente — Cape Verde 159

This inspired Theo Lautrey, a French trekking place to live. Without raw materials and mainly Ramos actually already knew the colonial guide, to develop ideas for a hotel for those developed by the former Portuguese colonists house from her childhood. Castellano got adventurous trekking pilgrims on São Vicente. to be a stop-over for charcoal-carrying ships to know it by spending a lot of time on site, He bought an old colonial house on the edge between Europe and America, Cape Verde only getting a sense of its potential before his daily of the historical centre of Mindelo, the capital survives thanks to small businesses, tourism surf. Inspiration arrived one day, when the of the island. His idea was that it would both and regular aid from Portugal. On the one architects were standing on the rooftop of house the tourist travel agency and be the core hand, the archipelago’s geographic isolation, the house, then still almost a ruin, facing the of the hotel he wanted to build around it. By scarce resources and relatively small number breath-taking panoramic view of the island. offering both services and lodging, the project of inhabitants have shaped a strong cultural Its colourful roofs were like steps descending would embody a complete tourist package, identity, but on the other the new generations to the south-west towards Baia Do combining the charm of a frontier post with have not learned to adapt to change and pursue Grande, and beyond, to the hardened hills and the comfort of a four-star hotel. innovation. Contemporary Cape Verdean the iconic . The thought hit them And so the young French guide began architecture is pretty unremarkable: simple that the anarchistic growth of houses on the his search for the right architect to realize cubic volumes, flat roofs and aluminium arid lava rocky mountain could be understood his dream. But whoever has been to São fixtures. In this barren architectural landscape, as its vegetation. Ramos and Castellano: ‘We Vicente knows that the 227 km2 of volcanic Lautrey met Ramos and Castellano and decided to respect the context and use the same earth, flailed by oceanic waves and hot winds commissioned them to design what would turn philosophical architectural approach of the regularly exceeding 20 knots, is not an easy out to be the Terra Lodge Hotel. surrounding buildings, adapting the spaced →

The 15-m-long footbridge to the roof terrace adds a sense of adventure.

The raised volume containing the breakfast room provides a shaded area beyond the entrance gate.

‘São Vicente must be respected for what it has managed to become despite the difficulties it The roof terrace on the old colonial house is the heart of the complex. has faced’ 160 Mark 70 Long Section Ramos Castellano Arquitectos Mindelo — São Vicente — Cape Verde 161

The hotel rooms are distributed over four separate volumes. 162 Mark 70 Long Section Ramos Castellano Arquitectos Mindelo — São Vicente — Cape Verde 163

The breakfast room is raised on pilotis.

units to the terrain morphology. Because São Vicente is both beautiful and ugly, it must be lived as it is, without being judged, and it must be respected for what it has managed to become despite the difficulties it has faced.’ The architects divided the hotel rooms (11 rooms and one suite) into four volumes, separated by circumnavigating paths that connect to the reception and main entrance. They decided to use the significant slope of the site to create various terraces and, through several stone retaining walls, chose to allude to the rocky nature of Santo Antão, the final destination of the hotel guests. The four volumes, three equal- and one double-sized on the west side, blend into the built environment Cross ventilation keeps the breakfast room cool. and overlook the city and the bay. Rather than being set in line, there are small variations in their orientation, just like the surrounding buildings. Their terraces have been placed a certain Indiana Jones feeling – a sense of basic needs and not catering to ephemeral according to precise solar path studies. Wooden adventure. The large panoramic terrace, where fashions.’ Like an exquisite dish cooked panels in the verandas block direct solar guests can enjoy drinks and the sunset, is with a few ingredients found in the fridge, radiation during the day and provide protected the pulsating heart of the complex. And if the two young architects have done the best spots for the guests to enjoy the views. the four volumes holding the rooms can be with the very little they had at their disposal. The four volumes rest at different seen as the oxygenating lungs of the complex, Sustainability, sociality and respect for the heights on stone walls, as if they are rocks the breakfast bar suspended on pilotis is the people and place that welcomed them when taken from the overhanging mountain. The stomach. Like the hotel rooms, it has numerous they moved to São Vicente are three of the sun-sheltered paths at the back lend access openings to guarantee cross ventilation. pillars of the Terra Lodge. The fourth is love for Instead of a TV set and air conditioning, guests to a 15-m-long wooden suspension bridge, As the architects say: ‘Every solution architecture and, in their small way, the desire are offered a view of the bay and natural leading to the terrace on the roof of the old has been simplified and adapted to the island. to change the world through beauty. In order to ventilation supplemented with electric fans. colonial house. Crossing the bridge evokes The complex is simple and essential, satisfying get the essence of that beauty, Castellano→ 165 _ The 12 rooms combine contemporary contemporary combine rooms 12 The appeal and character the with comfort heritage. historical of The external materials have been left left been have materials external The ramoscastellano.com spent days sleeping on site, in a tent, and and in a tent, site, on sleeping days spent feeling sunset, to sunrise from sun the studied led approach ‘holy’ a Such wind. of gusts the local the using project, handmade a totally to ‘trying neighbourhood, the from taken labour building the of economy the distribute to environment’. social the into construction the for putty lime verandas, the for wood raw: project the of soul ecological The plaster. white material, recycled adopted in the is embodied of made gate entrance colourful as the such shipping for – used barrels petroleum cast-off make to locals the by employed and goods building the Furthermore, objects. artisanal photovoltaic the to thanks is self-sufficient water- the and roofs the on hidden panels native the irrigate to used systems recycling including furniture, the all of Finally, plants. architects the by designed was lighting, the recycled of out handcrafters local by built and of In spite reels. cable electric from taken wood not was construction ending, happy very the as also delays, encountered it and easy always past the ‘During life. couple’s in any happens same the that learnt also have we years, two architecture both to applied be should rules and passion all need We life. private and say of) patience,’ lot (a and respect compassion, smiling. Castellano, and Ramos Cape Verde — Cape Vicente — São Mindelo The hotel rooms are accessed from the north, via north, the from accessed are rooms hotel The bridges. small stairs and of paths, a configuration Ramos Castellano Arquitectos Castellano Ramos adapted to the island’ the to adapted been simplified and and simplified been ‘Every solution has has solution ‘Every

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