Brazilian architect Laurent Troost has created Tropical Shed, an industrial-inspired, flexible commercial space in Manaus, a city in the Amazonas region
When a property became available next to their house, a couple living in a hip neighbourhood of Manaus, popular for its interesting architecture and industrial legacy, jumped at the opportunity to buy it. They then called upon local architect Laurent Troost to help them transform it from dilapidated warehouse into contemporary – a building that is open and modern, but also maintains the utilitarian character of the original structure and the wider area.
The 100 sq m Tropical Shed is defined by its past but also Troost’s and the clients’ desire to connect with nature. The owners’ business – an archaeology studio – is based there, but the space was conceived also to act as a leisure hub for both the main home next door and the office .
Simple and inexpensive materials, clever use of voids and open-air courtyards, and mother nature’s help, in the shape of the rich foliage that grows fast in this tropical part of the world, make for a structure that feels open and natural. ‘Moreover, the landscape design turned this project into a “productive” landscape, since most of the species used here are PANCs : sky vine, inchplant, wild ginger, arrowleaf elephant ear, passion fruit vine, arrowroot,’ Troost adds.
The street entrance is elegant if somewhat enigmatic, revealing little of what’s going on inside. Visitors are led through to a hollowed-out area concealed behind a perforated brick wall. The space immediately beyond is the leisure part of the project, with the archaeology office tucked at the rear of the plot, for privacy and quiet. Courtyards, terraces and a swimming pool enrich the outdoor areas in between functions.principles helped guide the design.