This Unusual Structure Melds a Traditional Chilean “Quincho” With a Bauhaus Aesthetic

Located in the foothills of Villarica Volcano near Pucón, Chile, architect José Peña's 450-square-foot quincho was designed with meditation and relaxation in mind.

On their wooded acre plot, the owners requested that Peña create a traditional Chilean barbecue that also could serve as a place for swimming and reflecting.

The abstract geometric artwork of Hungarian artist and Bauhaus professor László Moholy-Nagy was used as a launching point for the space.

"Through these connections and proportions of exploration, we created our own painting that highlights different spatial intentions," says Peña. "The shapes don't deny the fullness that surround them, but are part of them, with only a couple of subtle lines that grant the function of inhabiting." 

Much like Moholy-Nagy’s geometric compositions, the structure is a circle with various linear intersections, such as the walkway leading to the entrance, and the external wall that also divides the circular structure into two — the barbecue area and pool area. Another wall segments the interior, dividing the public (barbecue) and private (bathroom) spaces.

The exterior is painted black and has a wood-grain texture imprinted into its concrete material.

A minimal palette — stone porcelain floor, concrete walls, and pine ceiling — creates a soothing, earthy interior. Inside there is a cooking area with a wood stove for barbecuing.

The concrete wall also "mutates" into a bench where people can sit and eat or observe the pool. There also is a bathroom with a skylight connecting it to the great outdoors.

The quincho was designed as a way to immerse oneself in nature with various perspectives allowing the viewer to be one with the great outdoors.

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The circular structure is nestled into the earth, so that when sitting inside the viewer is at eye level with the earth and water outside. Existing at the same level as nature, the viewer is able to see the rocks, trees, grass, and water from an honest perspective.

The existing landscaping also is reflected into the semi-circular warm-water pool; so, if inside the structure looking out, the viewer still feels cloistered among the trees.

The cylindrical structure is tilted, creating an access portal and roof slope allowing rainwater to trickle down into the swimming pool.

In the evenings, the windows allow light to pour out of the disk and into the forest. "The idea was that the forest was the most important part," explains Peña, "so at night some or most of the trees have a light that illuminates them."

Large boulders that surround the exterior of the structure act as hardscaping and additional organic seating that can be used when hosting large groups of people.

Related Reading: A Little Chilean Tree House That's One With the Canopy

Project credits:

Architect: José Peña

 Builder/general contractor: Ciclo Construccion

Structural engineer: German Spoerer