House in Sé

Built in-between Baixa (downtown) and the hill of the Castle of Saint George, this building is an example of the Pombaline reconstruction of Lisbon. The rehabilitation project focused mainly on the recovery of characteristics that identify the space. In an almost archaeological process, the fascination for the discovery of the construction’s original elements determined the path followed throughout the intervention. The changes to the original were minor and sought to improve the interior circulation between the rooms and to renew the infrastructures. Introduction of new materials was sporadic, aiming to solve specific issues. Pavements, doors, trims, shutters and metal hardware—which resisted for more than 200 years—were kept. This has, hence, become a surgical intervention, which subtly brought habitability and comfort back to the dwelling. The project comes down to the exercise of finding how to inhabit a Pombaline construction, how to bring it back to the city and how to keep it alive through new times.