Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Exterior Photography, FacadeRefurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, WindowsRefurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, KitchenRefurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, StairsRefurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - More Images+ 49

Porto, Portugal
  • Project Manager: Filipe Madeira
  • Collaborator: Marisa Oliveira, João Cunha, Margaux Ruiz
  • City: Porto
  • Country: Portugal
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Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Exterior Photography, Door, Facade
© Frederico Martinho

Text description provided by the architects. This housing project refurbishes three buildings located in a long narrow plot that connects two streets of Porto's 18'th century urban fabric.

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Exterior Photography
© Frederico Martinho
Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Image 37 of 54
ALM+ALF+GAR - Plans
Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Exterior Photography
© Frederico Martinho

The building giving onto Rua do Almada was a typical 19th century Oporto bourgeois house. The project extended the building backwards, aligning the rear façade with the neighbouring houses. The new rear façade, in which granite is replaced with sand-blasted concrete, replicates the typical form of this type of building. The building now houses four duplex apartments. The interior woodwork, plaster paintings and ceiling motifs were preserved and all new elements were carefully designed to fit the original style. Despite some water damage, as well as scars caused by contemporary infrastructure requirements, the faux marble paintings in the original staircase were preserved and the damaged areas filled with a subtly coloured stucco.

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, Stairs
© Frederico Martinho

The building in the middle of the plot is testimony to the industrial activity that used to occur in inner city blocks. The design approach respected that history: the three storeys have a similar layout, with a single room, a staircase and a bathroom. The building can be used as a house, but also as an office or a studio. 

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© Frederico Martinho
Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Image 32 of 54
Plan ALM - Section
Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© Frederico Martinho

The materials used reflect the specificity of the building: the volume is wrapped in corrugated steel sheets; on the inside, the structure, equipment and solid concrete blocks are left visible, contrasting with the polished terrazzo and wood floors.

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, Windows
© Frederico Martinho

A very narrow house giving onto Rua Alferes Malheiro was a ruin that had to be rebuilt. As with the Almada building, traditional construction techniques were used to ensure compatibility with the existing stone walls. 

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography, Windows
© Frederico Martinho

Some of the wood structure remains visible, giving character to the space; larger windows were inserted into the rear façade, made in bush-hammered concrete that blends with the granite walls around its private garden; a sculptural staircase, placed in the darker part of the plot, connects the 4 storeys which are less than 3m wide.

Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos - Interior Photography
© Frederico Martinho

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Project location

Address:Rua do Almada 195, 4000-407 Porto, Portugal

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Refurbishment of 3 Buildings in Almada Street / figueiredo+pena arquitetos" [Reabilitação de três casas na Rua do Almada / figueiredo+pena arquitetos] 21 Mar 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/957457/refurbishment-of-3-buildings-in-almada-street-figueiredo-plus-pena-arquitetos> ISSN 0719-8884

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