Villa Chiado | Pedro Carrilho Arquitectos

The Intervention Project concerns a building located on Calçada do Combro, within the historic area of Lisbon.

The rehabilitation approach aimed to restore the building’s essence, focusing on the complete preservation of the main façade while maintaining all its distinctive elements, such as stonework, iron railings, and traditional tiles. On the rear façade, due to its fragility and extreme deterioration, a significant process of stabilization and structural consolidation was undertaken, enhancing it through the incorporation of metal balconies—an architectural reference to 19th-century ironwork.

Before the intervention, despite the building's seemingly reasonable state of conservation, its interior showed severe deterioration, with various major structural and non-structural vulnerabilities that compromised its safety, health, and overall habitability. 

Similar to many buildings in Lisbon, most of the construction anomalies stemmed from years of neglect and lack of maintenance, manifesting in wall cracks, decayed wooden beams, and other structural issues. Given the extent, severity, and diversity of these pathologies, a complete transformation and subsequent reconstruction of the interior spaces were deemed necessary, preserving key pre-existing references while adapting the building to a new program that aligned with the client’s expectations.

Maintaining the building’s original residential use while significantly improving accessibility, hygiene, and living conditions, the upper floors were reorganized to accommodate two apartments per floor—a studio (T0) and a one-bedroom (T1) unit. These were designed for short-term rental, catering primarily to couples or young families with children looking for practical, centrally located accommodations with all the comforts of an apartment to experience the local neighborhood lifestyle. In the new layout, the living room and kitchen share a more open-plan space, fostering permeability and a communal living environment. In a contemporary concept, the kitchen integrates seamlessly with the living area. The one-bedroom apartment (T1) on the top floor features a slight modification compared to those on the lower levels: with the possibility of utilizing the attic space, an internal staircase was added to create a duplex, placing the bedroom in this additional space.

In the circulation and access areas, the staircase was restructured, an elevator was installed, the steps were resized, and the skylight was replaced—allowing for an enhanced flow of natural light throughout the space.

In terms of materiality, the project embraced an inevitably contemporary approach while maintaining references to the building’s original era. Notable features include solid wood flooring in a ‘running board’ style, lioz limestone stonework with a sanded finish, and zinc-clad mansards in a gray tone. This dialogue with the pre-existing architecture is further emphasized in the restoration of the main atrium, where lioz limestone flooring was applied, along with two stone arches that mark the entrance to the building.

Beyond the architectural design, every element of the project was conceived with a strong focus on durability and functionality, addressing thermal and acoustic performance, structural reinforcement and seismic resistance, and the modernization of infrastructure networks—ultimately delivering a renewed building back to the city.

Preserving the authenticity of the original building while reinforcing its connections to the local architectural heritage was a fundamental principle of the project. In this regard, the intervention has contributed to the urban enhancement of the area.