Monsanto represents an interesting case; it is a very iconic location thanks to the strong relation between its built environment and the existing rock formation, its famed castle sits atop a mountain that is saturated with rich yet smaller natural and man-made landmarks. These characteristics are the main engine that drives the design approach of the sanctuary, it raises the question of how can an architectural intervention be introduced without visually competing with the dominancy of the castle, while complementing the smaller existing landmarks that are distributed along the given area of intervention.  

   The existing pathway is a unique element, it is the only existing component which is the byproduct of natural adaptive use of the human interaction in the area, thus it implies the most practical way to link between all landmarks and finally leads to the castle

   By tracing this naturally created pathway, the architectural intervention thus becomes a datum that links these elements, by subtracting the body of the traced pathway from the terrain; it provides minimal impact on the site, both visually and physically.     

   This newly created subtraction can be perceived differently depending   on the visitor's point of view; from an outside observer perspective, it is but a negative that subtly strengthen the dominancy of the castle, from the user's perspective however, the perception dramatically changes, as the sharp edges of the sunken pathway contrast  the non-uniformed landscape, creating a dual reading of the space.