Project: Refurbished a Luxury Apartment
Architects: ESQVTA
Lead Architect: Vitor Almeida
Location: Rua de Cedofeita 342, Porto, Portugal
Gross built area: 72.00 m2
Completion Year: 2018
Photography: Ricardo Oliveira Alves
Text and images: Courtesy of ESQVTA
In the city of Porto, it was recognized that there would be a business opportunity in urban rehabilitation. This opportunity aims to open luxury housing units for short rentals, which are always located in historic buildings of architectural and design value and in privileged locations.
Having this in consideration ESQVTA acquired and refurbished a luxury apartment that would permit access to national and international public to the 15 year old ESQVTA’s aesthetic and lifestyle that had until that point only been available to clients. The apartment is part of a 19th century building with large rooms and generous ceiling heights.
The marks of the brand remain in this new project. Furniture, lighting and objects handcrafted entirely by national labor. Works of art of Alexandre Conefrey, Hugo Amorim, Thierry Simões or Elisa Pône also state their presence.
Vitor Almeida invited the architecture firm YAMAGATA ARQUITETURA (www.yamagataarquitetura.com.br) to work in partnership in this project to achieve a distinguishing space. This and especially the creation of the final setting was done in four hands, Vitor Almeida and YA partners. The DNA of this office is a striking and structuring element in this new space: Japanese references, minimalism and functionality, chromatic successions of tone on tone or the inclusion of classics design, like AKARI lamps by Isamu Noguchi (www.vitra.com).
Vitor Almeida goes successively in search of inspirations and references in Brazil. He imports and adapts them to the Portuguese reality.
After all, it is from Brazil that Architect Vitor Almeida repeatedly searches for inspiration and references, always adapting them to the Portuguese reality.
In this apartment nothing is left forgotten when it comes to the final experience it provides, from the aromas that define the brand, the personalized linens or the playlists that tune perfectly ESQVTA’s home.
