Housing project integrates Palace courtyard into public space
The appraisal of the Design Competition with International Advertising for the project of the Municipal Housing Building at Rua da Verónica – Accessible Rent Housing, Quinta do Ferro, launched on 18 February 2022, has now been published, and PMC + ARCA studios authored the winning proposal.
The jury states that this proposal stands out among the 14 works presented in the competition, for the “remarkable value of its integration in the urban context, through the interpretation of the backyard as a community courtyard, and the use of an elegant volumetric partition that allows the local widening of Rua da Verónica, simultaneously announcing the passage to the backyard.” The proposed future connection with the courtyard of the Palácio Sinel de Cordes is highlighted, allowing a smooth transition as the extension of the backyard.
The jury also refers to the “high technical and constructive rationality of the proposal, showing a correct and efficient use of materials, characterised by the search for modular solutions with a high degree of systematisation».
The Triennale welcomes this initiative promoted by the City Council with great satisfaction, given the urgency of encouraging the creation of housing for the city and responding to the existing shortage, even more so when it includes the tackling of social issues. The project allows the usage of a large abandoned plot of land, adjacent to the Palace's courtyard, where a car workshop once operated, and is expected to be built in 2025.
Here you can see the winning proposal, as well as the 2nd and 3rd places in the competition.
About the authors
PMC studio was founded in 1993 by architects Carlos Sousa Coelho and Miguel Passos de Almeida, and develops its activity in multiple areas of architecture, with special focus on rehabilitation, new real estate projects and office buildings.
ARCA is a society of architects founded in 2015 by Sebastião Ribeiro, Francisco Cardoso, Frederico Albuquerque and Pedro Durão. It focuses on the design of architectural projects, provision of services related to investment and intervention in buildings, and provision of additional services in the field of communication and expression.