As part of Counts of Barbacena Palace – Officers’ Mess rehabilitation project, with the demolition of the precarious buildings located in the backside of the original building, it is proposed the creation of an exterior space to extend the buildings’ program.
A large courtyard with limestone flooring, confined by the building, articulates with various social areas of the building. A large tank with aquatic vegetation is located at the Northern limit of this large courtyard bordered by the wall and the new building, defining the scenario of the rooms located in this volume. The water element is surrounded by a diversity of plants that sets it apart from the adjacent built elements and ensures privacy in the rooms. At the West end of the water element, it is located the staircase that grants access to the upper-level garden: A clearing delimited by shrubbery that, due to its dark shade foliage increases the sense of spatial depth. This shrub border spatially organizes the upper level and controls the views of the surrounding buildings.
The small courtyard of the Palace building also results from the subtraction of the precarious annexes, restoring the space that once existed. Its limestone pavement defines the mineral nature of this courtyard and allows a comfortable circulation and occupation for the most varied uses.
