Quincho

Quincho in Rosario, Argentina by Rafael Iglesia

Regular readers of this web site know that I have a weak spot for small structures, be they houses, spas, pavilions, or even installations. This quincho, or place of eating, and pool in Rosario, Argentina by Rafael Iglesia definitely falls into that category of small. While it can be seen solely as a floor, a couple porous walls, a roof and a table, it is also a rich meditation on nature and materials, elevating the small shelter beyond its function.

The most obvious relationship to nature in the design is the tree trunk supporting the flat roof. This gesture reaches back to the roots of architecture, the primordial hut, if you will, where natural materials are reconstituted to suit the inhabitants, though in a manner recalling the natural thing - in this case a tree's canopy. This column sits next to the earthen hearth, which also acts as a third "wall" for the eating enclosure.

While the column and hearth ground the building, both symbolically and aesthetically, the table appears to defy gravity, an expression used by the architect in another quincho. Here fitted into a slatted wood enclosure, the thick plank table is a heavy object cantilevered from something light, an intentional juxtaposition that also allows light to filter into the space alongside the porous walls. Without the openings in the walls, the roof might be too oppressive, though the patterned reflections of the water on the ceiling (shimmering leaves?) are a stunning consequence of keeping this plane solid, as opposed to the reversal apparent in the other design mentioned.

As alluded to, the quincho is an enclosure designed deliberately with the sun, with nature. When the pool would be used most - in the afternoon hours - the sun reflects from the water to the ceiling. At other times, the sun enters through gaps in the porous wood walls, creating shadows across the wood floor. A space behind the table that's enclosed on four sides allows relief from the sun. But the majority of the space is left open under the roof, between the table and hearth, relating the timeless and communal act of preparing and eating food to its origins.