THE ENTIRE RESTRUCTURING OF THE EXPANDING COURTYARD SPACE, IS BASED ON THE GRID „VARA (110 X 110 CM)“, AS WELL AS AN OVERLAY OF THE GROUND PLAN OF THE MONASTERY „MOSTEIRO DE SÃO JOÃO DE TAROUCA“. THUS, THE THEN PLANNED EXTENSION OF THE MONASTERY IN ERMELO IS STUDIED. AND IMPORTANT EXISTING WALLS ARE VISIBLE, WHICH ARE SUBSEQUENTLY PRESERVED IN THE PROJECT.

THE NEW VOLUMETRICS ARE BASED ON THIS. BY DISMANTLE THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN THE CENTER, THE PLANNED CLOISTER AND COURTYARD SPACE WILL BE EXPOSED AGAIN. WITH THE NEW VOLUMES, THE NOW EXPANDED COURTYARD SPACE IS CLOSED AGAIN. ON THE OUTSIDE, THE PROJECT IS BASED ON THE EXISTING PLATFORMS, WHICH ARE USED FOR AGRICULTURAL
PURPOSES. A DOME, WHICH IS AN EXHIBITIONSPACE, EMERGES FROM THIS STRICT GRID. IT FACES A NEWLY DISCOVERED EXISTING STAIRCASE NEAR THE RIVERBANK, WHICH, ACCORDING TO ITS OWN ASSUMPTION, SHOULD BE A SECOND ACCESS TO THE MONASTERY.

THE DISMANTLING OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE PLATEAU, WILL BE RESTORED IN THE NEW BUILDING. THE CONNECTING WING WILL SERVE AS A COMMUNAL KITCHEN WITH A SOUTHFACING TERRACE FOR THE ADJACENT PILGRIMS‘ QUARTERS. THE SHAPE OF THE ROOF IS TAKEN FROM THE PRIEST‘S HOUSE, WHICH IS LOCATED VIS-A-VIS, AND GET FINALLY TRANSLATED INTO THE NEW STRUCTURE. WITH THIS CHANGE, A MODERN WOOD ALLUSION TO THE ROUND ARCHES OF THE CLOISTER ARE CREATED. IN THE CENTER OF THE SQUARE THERE IS A SMALL FOUNTAIN THAT DEFINES THE AXES OF THE COURTYARD SPACE.

THE PROGRAM FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON THE ACCESSIBILITY OF ERMELO, BY PILGRIMS AND TOURISTS. THE AGE-APPROPRIATE AND HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE ACCESS SHOULD FULLY SUPPORT THESE IDEAS. IN ADDITION, A CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE MONASTERY AND TO THE MAIN ACCESS AXIS.
THE MAIN TOURIST ACCESS, WILL BE ORGANIZED IN THE FUTURE BY THREE SMALLER PARKING LOTS. (1) SOUTH-FACING VISITOR PARKING NEAR THE TOMBS. (2) INCLINED ELEVATOR (HANDICAPPED ACCESS). (3) NORTH-FACING VISITOR PARKING TO THE NEW NATURAL ACCESS
TO THE MONASTERY. THE GUIDANCE OF THE PILGRIMS, SHOULD PRESERVE AND INTEGRATE THE ASCENT OF THE WAY FROM THE MONKS TO THE MONASTERY AT THAT TIME (ARRIVAL). THERE SHOULD BE AN UNCONSCIOUS ROUTE GUIDANCE, WHICH FIRST LEADS THROUGH THE MONASTERY. THE SMALLER ISOLATED ACCOMMODATIONS OF THE PILGRIMS ARE ALREADY VISIBLE FROM THE PILGRIMAGE, BUT CANNOT BE DIRECTLY ACCESSED THROUGH IT. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE ALONG THE PILGRIMAGE PATH, THE NEWLY DISCOVERED STAIRCASE WILL BE REACTIVATED. (DEPARTURE)