VIBRANT MOSAIC FAçADE CREATED FROM VARIOUS RAINBOW COLOURED RECYCLED BARREL LIDS

Recycling has become a major subject around the world, with many taking action to address the stressing situation which is pollution and global warming. This stressing matter has had severe influences on our world and many leading countries are setting the example of defeating and maintaining pollution. One way to address this issue is to find new ways to used what would have been waisted materials in more sufficient ways. An array of recycled rainbow-coloured barrel lids lines the façade of the Centro Nacional de Artesanato e Design (National Arts, Crafts, and Design Center) in Mindelo, Portugal. The creative innovation was created by Ramos Castellano Arquitectos. Not only are the vibrant circles, which serves as an unique outer shell of the renovated space, eye-catching but also functional.

With the function of being angled slightly to the side, the lids are able to control airflow and sunlight on the property. This ensures the ability to passively maintain the internal temperature of the site. The architects, Eloisa Ramos and Moreno Castellano, view the façade as a way to pay tribute to the diverse aspects of Mindelo. They view each barrel seen as a musical note as they pay homage “the musical traditions of the islands and transmitting a visual musical joy to the square.” They revealed that, “We wanted to use the perceptual phenomenon of synesthesia so a Caboverdian composer and multi-instrumentist, Vasco Martins, was invited to participate and wrote the music behind the colours.”

The colourful creation is ideal for a place which is centred on creativity and a way to connect with the greater environment. Ramos and Castellano explained, “The barrels are used for everything, as containers and as materials with many uses. Our approach was to knock down the walls and open the patio to the city and to use those barrels caps and create a detached skin that covers the entire museum, paying homage to this simple object that is so entrenched into the lives of the people of Mindelo.”