To the linear and chronological time 'CHRONOS' opposes 'KAIROS', an undefined and symbolic time which cannot be measured except by its quality.

The architectural proposal wants to put two apparently irreconcilable times in dialogue. Since the very ancient periods buildings aspire to the idea of the 'eternal' through a spatiality and materiality who are able to resist time. The great temples and cathedrals, completely made out of natural stone, continue to coexist with the contemporaneity.

Concrete constructions represent undoubtedly the legacy of modernity and they recover as well this symbolic idea of eternity. We saw, however, an increasing use of less durable materials as a reflection of an architecture for the moment, unable to engage with history, either by materiality or by construction.

There are several examples of temporary buildings that given its importance, spatiality and materiality remained as unavoidable references like the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe or the Portuguese Pavilion designed by Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto Moura.

These confront between the ephemeral and the eternal is something worth researching through a general view to the possibilities that our time can offer us. The prefab concrete is certainly a way to work simultaneously with these two aspects as it allows us to working with a durable and resistant material, able to dialogue with Time through a modular construction and an easy assembly or disassembly.

KAIROS, created by João Quintela and Tim Simon, appears as a result of a spatially research based in history through the use of Matter, Light and Time. The Matter of the Concrete, the Light of the Sun and the Time built from both. It is an investigation about proportions and the relationship between the small scale of the isolated module and the large scale of the whole building itself in relation with the context.

The space is built by a very easy and primitive constructive system of overlapping and joining pieces, taking advantage of their own weight without using any glue or screws. It's a square plan building with 7,2 meters and 3,6 meters high. Inside, there's a square patio. Thus, there exists a perimeter all around that consists in a path that develops both on the lower and upper level, generating two similar spaces with completely antagonistic ambiences. One is covered and bleak while the other is exterior and bright.

The inner patio is defined by the mirror created through the water inside which reflects the sky and duplicates the space. This becomes the central element, inaccessible and contemplative, able to freeze time and build an intimate moment, a dialogue with the past. Becomes the most significant space and acquires symbolism due to his impossible conquer.