Clube Recreativo Freamundense | Vítor Leal Barros

How to design a gentleman’s club in the 21st century?

‘Clube Recreativo Freamundense’ is a private institution with more than 60 years of history, similar to the old gentlemen's clubs, where the town notables met (and still gather) with shared interests on the professional, political, arts and literature fields. Over the years, and with its members becoming elderly, the activity of ‘Clube Recreativo Freamundense’ has been declining. The club’s current board has shown a renewed desire to make the institution live, by attracting new members from younger generations.

The project transforms an apartment built in the mid-1970's (the current clubhouse) adapting it to the new needs and functions. The main room was enlarged by the elimination of the circulation areas and connected to the previous functioning Bar that was installed at an autonomous and characterless room. The two complementary rooms (the meeting room and the TV room) are now separated from each other by large sliding panels, allowing its individualisation or the functioning of the whole venue as a large multipurpose room.

The project assumes its contemporary character by the materials and finishes, while reviving the club’s history through the recovery of the old furniture and objects.