FLAT IN PENHA DE FRANÇA
The Lisbon flat is located in Penha de França neighbourhood, between Paiva Couceiro and Arroios market. Similar to most of Lisbon, this area is currently rapidly changing due to a real-estate bubble that hovers over the city.
The flat has a 1930’s typology, with a simple Modernist, Art Deco language. With a North/South orientation and overall dimensions of 16 by 4 meters, the space was originally designed on a single level. A series of juxtaposed divisions were organised by function: “servant” or functional spaces towards the North, “served” or living spaces to the South.
An intervention from the end of the twentieth century, with poor construction finishes, made this narrow space feel even narrower and blocked the relationship with the inside of of the block towards North. A filmmaker, gave us the task to turn the whole volume into a living and work space, on an extremely low budget.
The program expands to two levels, opening up the existing hidden attic.
It reorganises "servant" and "served" spaces as positive and negative volumes, creating both continuity and rupture with the pre-existing.
Through considered design, use of materiality, colour and natural light, the “servant” spaces acquire autonomous specificities and character. The resulting negative volume, or void, allows the “served” spaces to be open and continuous.
With the subtraction of the North ceiling and the addition of skylights on the roof, direct and indirect sunlight, including south-facing light, can now flood the space.
The economy of means, through a pragmatic, uncompromising and crude use of materials, is assumed as a scenographic composition.
Architecture: Pedro Segurado Quintino Rogado + Sofia Saraiva
Collaboration: Roberto Alves Gomes + Gabriela Moniz
3d Images: Roberto Alves Gomes
Structural Engineering: Eng.º Vasco Farias
Construction: Mudamos e Transformamos, Lda
Client: Gaelle
Date: Project 2017 / Construction 2017-2018
Gross area: 84m2
Living area: 71m2
Budget: 24.000€
Photography: José Campos
