Patina

Nestled along the Vez River in northern Portugal, Patina is a spa designed as a quiet threshold between buildings and nature. The architecture draws from the textures of local stone and the presence of an adjacent historic watermill. A delicate copper screen envelops the structure, inviting native vegetation to climb and eventually blur the boundary between architecture and landscape. Over time the building yields to its surroundings, softened by greenery, animated by light, and transformed through the patina of the copper screen. A curvilinear stone wall further plays with the locale, referencing the historic wall on the site and undulating like the river.

More than a place of rest, Patina is an experience: an honest retreat where humanity and wilderness converge. It seeks to create a sensory pause, offering guests a moment of stillness, immersed in the experience of slowness, intimacy, and restoration.

The layout is divided into zones inviting guests to come and go from the spaces as they please. It provides access the pool, gym, or rooftop without intending to spend time elsewhere so the entry points are placed to enable this disconnect while still creating a functional flow between all for the guests that wish to have a more full experience. The approach to the building facilitates the first leg of this choice, enabling them to continue to the more formal entrance or step off to the stairs that lead directly to the gym and rooftop.