From an architectural perspective, a total renovation of its exterior has been undertaken, turning the house remarkably fluid, lively, and harmonious, allowing a continuous space reading.
Project description by João Tiago Aguiar arquitectos
Combining the architecture of the 1950s with the comfort, spaciousness and luminosity of contemporary spaces, this three-storey house in Restelo neighbourhood, Lisbon, has undergone a profound transformation. Space, light, functionality, and well-being are the appropriate keywords to describe it.
The ambitious project renewed a 70-year-old villa, transforming it into a luxurious house located in a privileged area of the city with spectacular views over the Tagus river.
From an architectural perspective, a total renovation of its exterior has been undertaken, turning the house remarkably fluid, lively, and harmonious, allowing a continuous space reading. Starting from simplifying the façades openings and the transformation of the sill windows into French windows, the house exterior improvements have gone much further and are presented, now, in a visually consistent and restful language.
There were applied handmade three-dimensional green tiles to cover the swimming pool, barbecue, garage/laundry and toilet which, by concealing those volumes, provide a balanced relationship with the natural green environment. In the same way, the existing extension of the house at the lower level was covered in the same material, thus unifying its several parts around a common motif.
The exterior of the house has now several living areas, all thought according with the features of the space with the swimming pool placed in the lower and more sheltered area, near the rear limit, towards south, thus benefiting from a longer sunlight.
On the lower floor there are the master-suite and a multipurpose room both with direct access to the garden and swimming pool. Above the suite, on the middle floor, the pre-existing terrace has been improved, creating a living area that is no more than a natural extension of the social zone, filling up all that space and offering outstanding views over the Tagus river.
The front gate and boundary wall, in laser cut metal sheet work, were also redesigned and the same 3D tile pattern was applied to reinforce such desired unifying character. The balustrades were also replaced by laser cut metal sheet of the same pattern.
On the other hand, the ceiling of the garage is now a huge light box, a relevant factor which visually benefits the cars parked there.
The house had too many rooms, so the project's approach was mainly to create a natural and versatile social area, by placing wide sliding doors between circulation zones, the living room and dining room in order to interconnect such areas. While the social spaces were placed on the middle floor, the private areas were distributed between the lower and upper floors; 4 suites on the upper floor and the master-suite on the lower floor with direct access to the garden and swimming-pool. On this lower level, an ensuite for the housekeeper with an independent access was also designed.
The harmonic personality of the house is once again highlighted in the interior staircase coating, where the same three-dimensional handmade tile used outside emerges once more although this time in white colour.
