Birds Over Sintra Lobby With Giant Teacup

North-window sidelight cuts through a ribbed concrete lobby in Sintra, casting warm interior shadows across the textured gray surfaces. A teacup the size of a swimming pool dominates the center floor, its white porcelain gleaming against the rough concrete. Flocks of birds float in a double-exposure layer above the cup, their dark silhouettes overlapping the architectural ribs. Reflections on the polished floor create a mirrored composition, doubling the geometric lines of the ceiling and the impossible scale of the cup. Early summer light hits the concrete edges sharply, highlighting the grain of the stone. The birds appear suspended in mid-air, their wings frozen in a rhythmic pattern against the sky reflected in the floor.