Beyond Mazeej’s unique production of freshness and quality, the project strongly connects to its context and site history blending the product’s identity and roots with the local history of the local area. The pre-existing orange trees in the neighboring plots are strong evidence of the historical existence of orange orchards which flourished before the urbanization of the city, and consequently, the intermittent transition of the orchard to a car parking. The Project’s Orchard, gradually steps down to a half-level below the ground reaching the main central Orange Tree below, reflecting the user’s promenade of one which goes down to earth while experiencing the orange production along the way.
The position and leveling of the piazza around which the project wraps and unveils reflect the project’s concept of reinstating the historical context of the site and resurrecting the pre-existing orange orchard in the site. At the interior level in the ground floor, the promenade of the visitor passes through a cycle of upwards traveling while passing along conceptually leaf-shaped voids that increase and decrease in size up until reaching in the Boutique a circular void projected above the workshop areas in which visitors are taught and produce final smoothies and shakes using the product produced at Mazeej, all in all reflecting the growth and decaying cycle of the leaves and the final conception of the orange fruit which the visitor goes through.