Located in Algueirão-Mem Martins, Sintra, the LMR - Leandro Martins Motorsport Porsche Lab project transforms an existing industrial structure, converting the factory building into a hybrid spatial environment where technical preparation, conservation, museum curation, and the ritualistic dimension of Porsche culture converge. Transcending the purely utilitarian and opaque nature of the conventional workshop, the architecture here serves as a medium of mediation and revelation, making the time, precision, and tectonic qualities inherent in racing engineering legible. This purpose translates into a programmatic stratification across three interdependent levels: the underground basement level houses the laboratory dedicated to the LMR team’s racing mechanics; on the ground floor, which serves a dual operational and exhibition function, the processes of disassembly, assembly in clean rooms (clean rooms) and fine-tuning, all in direct view of visitors; and, spanning the nave’s span, a suspended longitudinal structure anchors the mezzanine - intended for offices, a kitchen, and a social area - ensuring continuous visual dominance over the space below.

Guided by a principle of formal restraint and respect for the scale and tectonic character of the original industrial structure, BCA’s intervention employs continuous epoxy resin flooring, black anodized aluminum profiles, and high-precision technical lighting to establish a neutral setting that elevates the automobile as the central figure and organizing element of the space. Far from being a passive shell, each design decision acts as an active instrument in the service of high performance, endowing the building with a programmatic flexibility capable of shifting between the demands of the mechanical laboratory and the openness of the events gallery. Rooted in Leandro Martins’ competitive background, the project embodies the meeting point between man, machine, and matter.

Team

Bruno Câmara, João Câmara, Miguel Vieira da Silva, Carolina Cruz, Marianna Nascimento, Cynde Thayla Aguiar, Lucas Lima, Paulo Silva Nunes, João Sampayo e Abrantes, Vicente Évora, Margarida Robalo