Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier
02/04/2018.
[Porto] Portugal
metalocus, ANTONIO G DE JUAN
metalocus, ANTONIO G DE JUAN
The statement "An architectural project is a declaration of intentions", can turn out to be a phrase that sounds cliché, but it is not like that if you look at the intriguing images that identify the work of the Portuguese study fala atelier.
Overview. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
View from courtyard. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
View from courtyard, detail. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
View from courtyard, detail. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
View from street. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by José Carlos Melo Dias
Interior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
Interior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
Interior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
Interior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier. Photograph by Ricardo Loureiro
Rendering, interior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Rendering, exterior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Rendering interior view. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Axonometric. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Axonometric. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Axonometric. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Axonometric. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Ground and first floor plan. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
Ground and first floor plan, previous situation. Rua do Paraiso dwellings by fala atelier.
‘House in Rua do Paraíso’, designed by fala atelier, is located in Porto, Portugal. A bourgeois 19th-century single-family house divided into a series of identical studio apartments. Using its caracteristique way to draw and what seems to be, also, its favorite material — marble — the team transform project in a new intentions statement; renovation while preserving layers of the previous building stages; an outstanding modern piece of art; an interesting analysis about private and public; a reflexion about main façade o courtyard façade.
In a world full of images, it is difficult to discover really interesting ways of representation. For fala atelier, architecture is a meta-linguistic process that leads to the representation of an idea. The graphic language of fala atelier is often considered as mere abstractions, however that abstraction is surprising, for its ability to show us the essence of the project
His fascination with the subjective world represented in his images is a declaration of intentions to transform the ideas and goals of his projects into a reality that transcends their begining ideas. In this case, the design of four new apartments in an old house is much more than a declaration of habitability.
In a world full of images, it is difficult to discover really interesting ways of representation. For fala atelier, architecture is a meta-linguistic process that leads to the representation of an idea. The graphic language of fala atelier is often considered as mere abstractions, however that abstraction is surprising, for its ability to show us the essence of the project
His fascination with the subjective world represented in his images is a declaration of intentions to transform the ideas and goals of his projects into a reality that transcends their begining ideas. In this case, the design of four new apartments in an old house is much more than a declaration of habitability.
Description of project by fala atelier
A bourgeois 19th century single family house was to be divided into a series of identical studio apartments: four living spaces, some circulation areas and a private backyard. The project happens within a given system of constraints, aiming at an unexpected complexity, finding a certain interest within a very banal set of programs.
Unorthodox everyday spaces are built according to a clearly defined syntax and grammar. The four living rooms are different from each other while sharing the same language, the same set of figures. A defined number of elements - morphemes - within which the project operates: the stepped wall, the curve, two doors (one pink and one green), the striped surface of the floor. The living area becomes a gallery space.
The front facade is almost unchanged. The shabby tiles are replaced by polished green marble contrasting with the roughness of the existing granite frames. A circle of white marble is added to balance the composition.
The back facade is rebuilt. It becomes taller to match the neighbours scale, like a mask or a temple, with two square windows framing interior scenarios. The polished facade has a bold pattern of vertical stripes assembled with white, green and black marble, creating a rich, yet flat, surface. The entrance door is hidden within the pattern and a brass circle ends the piece. The pattern disguises the scale of the building and its program while being unnecessarily proud and exuberant. The back facade becomes a painting for neighbours to look at, a main facade for private use.
More information
Architects
Fala Atelier. Architects.- Filipe Magalhães. Ana Luisa Soares. Ahmed Belkhodja. Rute Peixoto. Lera Samovich. Paulo Sousa.
Landscape architect
João Magalhães
Client
Domingo Discreto Lda
Main Contractor
Engilaco Lda
Photography
José Carlos Melo Dias.
Atelier Fala
Fala Atelier is a naïve architecture practice based in Porto, led by Filipe Magalhães, Ana Luisa Soares and Ahmed Belkhodja. Established in 2013, the atelier works with methodic optimism on a wide range of projects, from territories to birdhouses.
Filipe Magalhães (Porto, 1987) graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do Porto and Fakulteta za Arhitekturo in Ljubljana; wrote the thesis ‘between the abstract and the figurative’. Worked with Harry Gugger in Basel and Aanaa in Tokyo. Visiting professor at Bratislava’s faculty of architecture.
Ana Luisa Soares (Porto, 1988) graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do Porto and Tokyo university; wrote the thesis ‘The matter of ideas’. Worked with Harry Gugger in Basel and Toyo Ito in Tokyo. Visiting professor at Bratislava’s faculty of architecture.
Ahmed Belkhodja (Lausanne, 1990) graduated in architecture at ETH Zurich after having also studied in Lausanne, Gothenburg and Singapore; worked with Harry Gugger in Basel, Obra architects in New York, and Atelier Bow-wow in Tokyo.
Filipe Magalhães (Porto, 1987) graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do Porto and Fakulteta za Arhitekturo in Ljubljana; wrote the thesis ‘between the abstract and the figurative’. Worked with Harry Gugger in Basel and Aanaa in Tokyo. Visiting professor at Bratislava’s faculty of architecture.
Ana Luisa Soares (Porto, 1988) graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do Porto and Tokyo university; wrote the thesis ‘The matter of ideas’. Worked with Harry Gugger in Basel and Toyo Ito in Tokyo. Visiting professor at Bratislava’s faculty of architecture.
Ahmed Belkhodja (Lausanne, 1990) graduated in architecture at ETH Zurich after having also studied in Lausanne, Gothenburg and Singapore; worked with Harry Gugger in Basel, Obra architects in New York, and Atelier Bow-wow in Tokyo.
