Mouraria Innovation Centre

Located at the foot of the hill, close to the Cerca da Graça public garden, this old 15th-century building was once a manor house which consisted of five buildings, mostly pre-Pombaline, organised around a patio. It is one of the few remaining examples in Lisbon of a markedly Islamic spatial organisation, revealed in the articulation of the buildings, organised into distinct levels and courtyards. The intervention transformed the spatial logic of the interior spaces to adapt to the new programme while keeping the Islamic-mediaeval original features, very distinct in the stairs and wooden structures. The older structures are complemented by new construction, including support areas such as a reception area, a multipurpose room, and stairs. In contrast with the pre-existing elements, the new ones assume their contemporary nature, and the materials are typical of present-day techniques and industry (concrete, steel, glass), where the use of dark grey is recurrent.