A building rehabilitation in Porto worthy of a silver MUSE

The project Infante, in Ribeira won Silver at the MUSE Design Awards 2021, in the Category Architectural Design and the sub-Category Renovation. The StudioMeireles Arquitectos rehabilitated the Infante building and cultivated the city with a project that stands out to the world.

The rehabilitation project by Meireles Arquitectos is located in a part of town that was classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, back in 1996. Thus, the intervention had to be “careful, non-invasive, and meeting the requirements of the architectural program of the area. The architectural exercise was complex, but very interesting and challenging.”, reads the MUSE design Awards website.

This rehabilitation works took into consideration the features of an eighteenth century building. The result is that the original two buildings were merged and now there is one building, consisting of several apartments and a store. “However, all the influence of past times, reflected in both buildings, was used, both in the type of materials used, (predominantly wood), and in the drawings of the spans, the drawings of the stairs and the drawings of the frames that stand out in the ceilings and walls, the latter being a direct influence of the 18th century Baroque style in Oporto, although their design and shape were simplified as much as possible”, the MUSE Design Awards detail.

Also a 2021 MUSE winner is the architect studio Ventura + Partners, with a gold medal on the project of the chocalaterie of Arcádia in Norteshopping.

MUSE Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals that seeks to inspire, motivate and encourage excellence of work.