Carmo

Rua Oliveira ao Carmo

The Project is located in the heart of Lisbon, in a close proximity to the Carmo Monastery which was destroyed during the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and remains one of  the biggest tourist attractions in the neighbourhood.

The pre-existing building, with the plot area of only 56m2, has its origins in XIX century, and throughout the time, and unlike its neighbours, didn´t undergo any changes or extensions. As a result, it was significantly minor than the surrounding buildings, had visible signs of degradation and nonfunctional spatial division for modern use.

To enhance the building’s character, we added a duplex apartment with habitable attic overlooking the city and the Carmo Monastery.

It was crucial for us to revive the building’s historical qualities by assuming the rhythm of the windows and decorative elements and replicating them in the added floors. The facade will be covered with the traditional portuguese glazed tiles in order to bring more value to the surroundings and restore its previous glamour.

The main design principle was to improve the layout by moving the staircase and disconnect it from the main facade, to gain more usable space and let in more daylight into the apartments. Although the staircase was dislocated to the darkest corner of the building, it wasn’t deprived of natural light thanks to the roof skylight and perforated metal sheet used as a material for the steps.

The staircase is not the only modern element contained within the historical walls. The apartments fall into  T2, T1 and T0 typologies, with comfortable rooms, minimalist bathrooms, spacious living rooms with subtle kitchenettes.

Each apartment is marked with a unique coloured niche that appears in social zones.

It is an modern project, respecting the time and history and preserving fundamental elements of the building`s origin.