Escola Básica Bairro de São Miguel

In continuity with the rest of the neighbourhood of Alvalade, this was the first school in Portugal developed according to the rationality of the Modern Movement, within a group of seven primary schools designed by Ruy d’Athouguia. The layout of the two volumes is determined according to solar exposure. Two sheltered playgrounds are the result of the articulation around two parallel patios, connected by means of a slab elevated by pilotis, withstood by a wall of gentle inclination. A narrow communication between the classrooms inside and the exterior is established, emphasizing the space and its connection with the surroundings. We can observe a recreation of the technologies and materials of that era, namely through the creation of consecutive planes in which the use of textured materials dialogues with the glass panes that separate them longitudinally. Wood, tile and wide openings allow for a space of physical and intellectual well-being, where pivoting flaps guarantee the lighting comfort of different solar exposures. In parallel, the careful design of the furniture turns this ensemble into an iconic school, at the time conceived according to a logic of distinction between female and male wings, separated by the inner patios.