Fala Atelier guts Lisbon apartment to create bright open-plan home

Porto studio Fala Atelier has overhauled the layout of a cramped flat in Lisbon, adding sliding doors that connect each room to a central living area and small balcony.

The 60-square-metre Príncipe Real Apartment, contained within an old tile-clad block in downtown Lisbon, was reorganised and refurbished by the co-founders of Fala Atelier, Filipe Magalhães and Ana Luisa Soares.

The architects removed all interior walls from the tightly-packed plan and started again, adding just two partitions to create a largely open-plan space.

Mirrored and glass doors, which reflect light from windows on both the north and south facades, slide off a central living and dining space into bedrooms and bathrooms on either side.

"Although charming at the first glance, it was somehow broken," said the architects. "The spatial system was erratic, with all the things in the wrong place."

"The main idea behind the project was to redefine its priorities, correcting it, while framing the view. All the walls were removed and the programme was flipped 180 degrees."

Living spaces were grouped together and moved from the north to the south side of the flat to benefit from better light and views of the city from the small enclosed balcony.

The patio has two glazed sides and is connected to the living space by two doorways and an adjoining white brick wall.

"The balcony and living room became the continuation of each other," said the studio.

The floor is patterned with black and white tiles that relate to the building's decorative facade. Two mustard-coloured Masters Chairs by Philippe Starck add colour.

A small toilet and shower-room are housed behind a sliding mirrored door.

A windowless bedroom with no appreciation of the city views was originally landlocked in the centre of the plan. This and a second bedroom were re-situated side by side across the width of the north facade.

French doors open from the master bedroom onto a small balcony.

The walls and ceiling were painted bright white throughout. According to the architects, they become "a clear canvas for the few pieces of furniture placed like independent objects in the space".

A deep green sideboard imprinted with a tessellating geometric print sits on one side of the living space, providing a preparation area for the kitchen, while in one bedroom a chest of pale-blue drawers has a diamond pattern cut into its surface.