Ceuta Terrace Suites

ABprojectos

Short description

The original program of the Soares & Irmão building (1950-55) responds to the conciliation of work and housing.
This intervention focus on the top three floors of the building previously occupied buy one private apartment and now converted on housing units. The main floor (5th) is dedicated to the social and service spaces like office, library, living and dining room, kitchen and small covered and closed winter garden. From this floor it’s possible to have access to the private terrace on the upper floor (6th) with views over the city and to the 4th floor, with an independent entrance and a distribution corridor. These three floors are joined by a helical staircase, which unite the different areas of the apartment in a clear functional way. The main compartments have the best exposure to south, while the service compartments are facing north.
The program requested by our client foresaw the installation of eight housing units for families, distributed over the two floors of the apartment - 4th and 5th floor.
Facing south, there are four units for 3 people each, where we tried to maintain the original rooms, adding a toilet. To the north, the bedrooms for 5 people were designed and at the east end, two more accommodation units were installed.
On the 4th floor the design of the original suite was maintained, obtaining an accommodation unit for 5 people. On the 5th floor, an exceptional room was developed, with a private balcony over Rua de Ceuta, and a sanitary installation placed inside a pre-existing frame.
The recreational space on the top floor was transformed into a common space for guests. Its configuration was adapted to the existing roof slab, creating a dining area and bar that extends across the rooftop with views of the city.