Building of the Year 2019
The St. Catherine Resort is surrounded by deep forests. Beneath the treetops, in the moss and moss, are fields of granite stones of various shapes and sizes. This local characteristic has been humbly used for the construction of the new pavilion of Ayurvedic medicine.
A modular grid was laid out on the site. The 89 monolithic stones are arranged at the intersection of the axes so that their vertices form a plane in the undulating terrain. On the field of stones, a wooden pavilion rises. The supporting skeleton of the pavilion is composed of vertical cross columns and horizontal lintels. The archaic composition of the cross columns and lintels forms the internal order of the structure, in which each interval of the skeleton is its own centre. The motif of the centre is accentuated by two central spaces - an open atrium and a hall with a swimming pool. The outer perimeter of the building consists of a gallery that provides relaxing visitors with a visual contact with the surrounding landscape.
The three sides of the pavilion offer three distinct sceneries - a view of the open landscape, a close experience of the forest, and an enclosed meditation garden. The divide between the interior and exterior is softened by the fabric drapery that surrounds the pavilion on three sides. In addition to screening, it also serves as a curtain that frames views of the surroundings and, when drawn, sculpts the luminous atmosphere of the pavilion's interior space.
The basic building materials - stone and wood - are thus complemented by a subtle fabric matrix, which defines the interior space of the building in the spirit of fabric - the primary enclosure (Gottfried Semper). The fabric also permeates the pavilion as a natural dividing element between the individual spaces for relaxation and rest. The architecture of the Ayurvedic Medicine Pavilion is conceived on the basis of the philosophical belief that the source of peace, both internal and external, is order, which creates natural and legible boundaries in a chaotic and unbounded space. The entire building - space, structure and material - thus enhances the effects of Ayurvedic medicine and creates an oasis of peace, meditation and relaxation.