Bela Vista à Lapa Apartment. Cooking and eating as the center of social and family life

The Bela Vista à Lapa Apartment is the renovation of a 1950s apartment in Lisbon. Through the selective demolition of walls that make up its structure, it was possible to fulfill the client's desire to have a large space for socializing at the heart of the home

Originally, the Bela Vista à Lapa Apartment, was in good condition, with a distinct and binding structure made of reinforced concrete floors supported by all the brick partition walls, which are structural

In the renovation designed by Aurora Arquitectos, through selective demolitions, the dining room and kitchen are strategically placed at the center of the home: much like in an old rural kitchen, the act of cooking and eating together reclaim a central role in social and family life

The new openings, arranged in a regular pattern, enhance the flow and visual connectivity across the spaces. The shape of these openings, like portals, emphasizes and ritualizes the passage

In the renovation, the same original materials of the house were used - pine wood, Lioz limestone, Negro de Mem Martins, and hand-painted tiles - using design to infuse them with a modern touch