project team: filipe magalhães, ana luisa soares, ahmed belkhodja, costanza favero, lera samovich, joana sendas, paulo sousa
contractor: engilaco lda
Located on the piano nobile of a modernist housing block, the apartment faced a reclaimed terrace; the interiors were reconfigured with little empathy towards the original plan.
A convoluted main space, on the edge of fragmentation, spans from façade to façade. It incorporates a living and dining area, an almost-separated kitchen and the possibility of an additional bedroom. The main bedroom and both bathrooms are concealed behind a simple circular wall. The amount of walls is kept to a minimum, their layout is strategic.
The project operates through a set of gentle oppositions between existing and added elements. The circular wall counteracts the complexity of the vertical circulations of the building. The humble interior finishes underline the presence of the various fixtures and structural elements. Monumental wood doors suggest different degrees of privacy and a patterned kitchen lazes in the abundant sunlight.
The new façade facing the terrace, generously open, hints at the modernism of the street façade and, in doing so, finds a contrast with its direct context. The mint green floor firmly bounds all spaces together despite the irresolute hierarchy of the plan.
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