The Abalo Alonso Arquitectos studio follows a layout with a central corridor and three rooms on each side, with a bathroom bay in between. The ground floor follows a similar layout, replacing the west side with common areas with access to the garden.
The proposal maintains the original structure of load-bearing walls and beams, pontoons and wooden planks, but restores the entrance hall and the staircase, replacing the flooring. The original tiles are moved to the upper floors and the marble flooring of the hall is extended towards the staircase.
Work is done on the roof and the west façade, covering it with a painted wooden framework, including a layer of thermal insulation and new wooden windows.
Rehabilitation of Cruceiro do Gaio hotel by Abalo Alonso Arquitectos. Photograph by Santos Díez.
Project description by Abalo Alonso Arquitectos
A century later, and after having been the residence of a former mayor, a residential building or a hostel, the property evolved as a small historic urban hotel. It is located on the edge of the Alameda, and its orientation is unbeatable, with the east façade facing the historic center and the west façade facing Mount Pedroso.
We maintain both the vertical structure of granite load-bearing walls and the horizontal slabs of beams, pontoons and wooden boards, with the necessary adjustments and repairs. To improve accessibility, the level of the ground floor is lowered and an elevator is installed. Functionally, the scheme is relatively traditional, with a central distribution corridor and three rooms on each side, with the band of toilets in the intermediate area on the upper floors. On the ground floor the scheme is similar, although the west side is dedicated to common areas, directly related to the garden.
The access portal and staircase are restored, recovering their original finishes. The marble flooring extends throughout the entire ground floor and the previous hydraulic tiles are moved to the galleries on the upper floors. This part of the building, which corresponds to the west façade, was the one that was most deteriorated, and where our intervention is most profound. The aforementioned pavements are replaced and the façade is completed with a painted wooden framework that incorporates intermediate insulation and new windows, also made of wood. This energy improvement is completed by the renovation of the roof.
All facilities are also renewed, with the machinery integrated into the cover and the distribution of ducts, accessible, through the central corridor of each floor.
