ÁLVARO SIZA + CARLOS CASTANHEIRA

The first building in the major renovation of Taifong Golf Course has been completed. It is to be known as (The) Siza House.

It is one of those buildings that surprise us, because as we move about it, it is always different, intriguing, dynamic, but not intrusive.

Exposed concrete, angular cuts, openings and solid surfaces, shadows and reflections coming down fromabove, falling on the building.

Nestled into the slope, the building has four storeys along the Golf Course approach avenue and has one storey where it is level with the Green.

Having all the facilities that allow it to function as a Club House during the period of the building works for the other buildings that are planned - Club House, Tea House and Gate House -the future function of this building is to support and complement activities connected with the game of Golf.

Now that it is possible to visit the building, it is impressive for the scale of the spaces, their hierarchy and their function.

Light and shadow are perfectly handled, creating spaces that are either more tranquil and separate from the play, or more inclusive and connected with it.

The exterior spaces are set in a sequence that facilitates the movements that are specific to the game: the waiting, the warm up, the beginning and ending.

In the context of a very dramatic landscape, the building is set into its background; however a small volume stands out. A patio, formed by three exposed concrete walls to the exterior and a panel of silver coloured tiles to the interior, provides a pause in a place where art merges with nature.

Nothing is haphazard, nothing is unjustified. The relationship between space and function is everything.

source: Carlos Castanheira