Waves of Glass and Clouds of Metal

A ground-floor shop in an ordinary, narrow 1970s housing block was to become an apartment for two. The programme was clear, the layout less so.

The Portuguese design team resolved this non-domestic space with waves of glass brick and clouds of metal mesh. Two curved walls run through both levels, gently separating private from public, and two metal masks emphasise the long axis. The back façade layers glass, mirror, metal cut-outs and patterns, while the front is a misty mass of mesh.

Large surfaces of glass brick, tiles and light blue are interrupted by marble dots, wooden lines and bold red elements, blurring the usual boundaries of a house. Domestic space becomes a stage, and the residents both actors and spectators of their daily routines.