A Lisbon Apartment Building Is Brought Back to Life With Tidy, Light-Filled Interiors

Situated on a roughly 860-square-foot plot in Mouraria, the Moorish Quarter of Lisbon, the 1920 Escadinhas Building spills onto a charming cobbled street at its front, and captures views across Portugal’s capital at the back. When local firm Aurora Arquitectos agreed to take on a renovation, the structure itself was sound, but the interiors of all three levels and an attic were due for an update.

The project kept with the building’s original layout: The entrance connects with the main stair, which leads to three apartments, one on each level. Each apartment has a big social space, with the living rooms and kitchenettes stretching the entire depth of the building and the bedrooms and bathrooms connected directly to the living area. To create a fluid, streamlined interior, "secret" doors connecting the spaces are integrated within painted wooden walls.