Sinel de Cordes Palace – Lisbon Architecture Triennale

Built in the 18th century for the Sinel de Cordes family, the palace that houses the Lisbon Architecture Triennale stands out from the adjoining buildings for its palatial characteristics, though slightly overshadowed by the greater size and prominence of the neighbouring Palácio dos Marqueses do Lavradio, currently the seat of the Supreme Military Court. In the 19th century, the palace underwent exterior modifications, such as the balustrade or the neoclassical statues at the top. But it is on the inside that you find most of the changes to the original plan, such as the staircase’s neo-gothic decoration and other signs of the former lives of a building that was once a legation and later a school. The rehabilitation of this hybrid place, where distinctive styles intersect, is currently under development and aims to restore the palace’s heritage value, safeguarding the many memories it represents for the community through an intervention where the new layers do not hide stories nor identities.