A retrospective on the Palace's regeneration

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It is with a sense of commitment that we eagerly embrace the Lisbon Municipality's, our strategic partner, challenge to rehabilitate, refurbish and adapt Sinel de Cordes Palace to three functions where architecture is the common denominator: a cultural space, a creative hub and a venue offering services such as a bookshop and cafeteria.

Since 2018, this operation's most recent phase has been carried out with a network of patrons whom we take the opportunity to thank: Saint Gobain Placo, San Jose Construtora, Sanitana, Tintas CIN, Climar, Laser Build, Polyrey, Tarkett, Forsolid, Häger, Padimat, and OLI.

Given this building's moderate scale, over the last five years we prioritised the noble floor as exhibition space with a new suspension system, installation of lighting rails and restoration of the plaster and stucco reliefs on the ceilings. We also built a new staircase to the attic and restored the flooring made of centenary pine.

In 2022, after a first structural upgrade with the support of the Serra Henriques Foundation, we completed the refurbishment of the east wing now housing our offices and the team is already installed in this diaphanous space reusing some of the pieces designed for our exhibitions. In the courtyard, thanks to the Berlin team Forecast's Takeover Fest, we carried out a flash operation: planting the flowerbeds with vegetation from the ephemeral Tijuana pavilion - the installation in MAAT's square at the last edition of the Triennale - and loosening the roots of the leafy trees on the surrounding pavement so that they can continue to grow healthily.

Between October and December 2023, we welcome a group of young people from Denmark's Kaospilot to embark on the last phase of works in the attic, which has already undergone a major intervention to insulate and open up the stairwell. Students from this school of social innovation come to Lisbon for a residency in which they put into practice knowledge about design thinking, project management, team spirit development, coaching, community building, communication and management of participatory and co-operation processes.

To finish this endeavour, we are embarking on a new round of attracting patrons, opening the door to holding training workshops, acting as an example of applications, giving more visibility to innovations, or strengthening relations with the community linked to architecture and areas that intersect with it. This is a mission that requires all our energy.