Norwegian Embassy

At a time in which a large number of single-family houses were built in Restelo, a number of architects became highly dedicated to such design projects. One such architect is José Gomes Bastos, who built some ten houses, many of them in this neighbourhood, in the early 1950s. In this house, which has served as the Norwegian Embassy since 1977, the architect acknowledged modern living through the use of mixed materials, mainly reinforced concrete and stone, thus breaking up the Modernist approach through the introduction of more traditional elements. Other stand-out details are the elevation of the house off the ground, freeing up the garden space and opening up spacious verandas providing views southwards, as well as the terrace inspired by the “toit terrasse” in the Villa Savoye, which establishes intriguing relationships between the interior, the protected exterior and the extensive views. In 1952 the house was shortlisted for the Municipal Prize for Architecture.