antónio costa lima celebrates historic lisbon aqueduct with de-materializing dwelling

with its ‘galeria da esperança’ residential intervention, antónio costa lima arquitectos uncovers a section of lisbon‘s águas livres aqueduct. the new construction follows the demolition of a pre-existing warehouse, celebrating the monumental stone structure which runs alongside the street below, and is sunken within the hillside under a number of buildings. at the same time, the work seeks to transform the historical urban context, standing as a formal synthesis as a tail-end of the block. the project marks the transitional closure on the west side of the block, contrasting the neighboring buildings which stand nearly ten meters below the level of the street.

images by francisco nogueira

antónio costa lima arquitectos curates its ‘galeria da esperança’ along the aqueduct with a façade that suggests a gradual de-materialization. the solid white volume is progressively carved away, revealing the structural skeleton until it is bare, opening outward at the southwest corner. as a consequence, this corner is expressed with a vertical row of terraces, as an analogous image to the metallic structures of the balconies that swarm almost every block in lisbon. this solution further lends a lightness that emphasizes the natural environment along the west side of the building.

toward the east side of the ‘galeria da esperança’ along the aqueduct, antónio costa lima expresses façade to more closely express a traditional window design. here, the windows are organized with a rigid vertical metric. the materials chosen, whether ceramic roof tiles or the facade’s cream finish recalls the material palette typical throughout lisbon.

project info:

project title: galeria da esperança ‘by the aqueduct’

architecture: antónio costa lima arquitectos

location: travessa do noronha, príncipe real, lisbon

completion: 2019

photography: francisco nogueira