Fala Atelier builds “a very small palace” in Porto, Portugal
Inspired by the painting “Le Rêve” by Henri Rousseau, which can be seen in the MoMA, Portuguese Architecture Workshop Fala Atelier presents ‘A very small palace’. Located in a small lush garden in Porto, Portugalthe 40 m² Residential the extension adopts a transparent appearance and is proudly surmounted by a crown adorned with precious stones.
the small palace emerges from a small but lush garden in Porto
all images courtesy of Ivo Tavaresunless otherwise stated
focus on spatial richness, quality and complexity
Fala Atelier’s small extension seems to emerge from a lush garden, as in Rousseau’s painting, which depicts a jungle full of exotic flora and wild animals, inspired by the artist’s visits to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. the Portuguese architectural practice focuses on spatial richness, paying particular attention to the materiality and treatment of surfaces and furnishings, ensuring that the result is perceived with the same quality and complexity that characterizes a large building, despite its small size.
The small palace is mostly transparent, with extensive glazing covering the entire structure. Meanwhile, her crown, adorned with precious stones and covering the exterior walls, stands proudly at the top. The interior is both modest and rich, set back somewhat to emphasize the presence of the surrounding flora. The room is finished with a spacious cupboard serving as a secret hiding place for all the equipment, thus adding to the complexity of the design.
the palace adopts a transparent aspect and is proudly surmounted by a crown adorned with precious stones
A simple step divides the interior into two zones with discreet but noticeable differences. “In Loos fashion, two representative zones are defined by the different floors, with varying degrees of privacy.” explains the Atelier Fala team.
The only walls are the longitudinal sides of the space, in continuity with the perimeters of the garden. The bathroom and the storage room are hidden behind a unitary piece of lacquered wood furniture, the scale of which is deliberately situated between architecture and furniture. “A palace shouldn’t be too simple after all.” add the architects.
the design concept is inspired by Rousseau’s painting, which depicts a jungle full of exotic flora and wild animals
the small palace is mostly transparent, with extensive glazing covering the entire structure
Fala bets on spatial richness, paying particular attention to materiality, and to the treatment of surfaces and furniture.
the space is completed by a spacious closet concealing the equipment of the interior
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image reproduced with the kind permission of Fala Atelier
image reproduced with the kind permission of Fala Atelier
“Le Rêve” by Henri Rousseau – image courtesy of MoMa
project info:
Last name: A Tiny Palace – 050
architects: Fala workshop | @fala.atelier
group project: Filipe Magalhães, Ana Luisa Soares, Ahmed Belkhodja, Lera Samovich, Ana Lima, Rute Peixoto, Paulo Sousa
landscape architect: Oh Earth
construction: JST LDA
location: Porto, Portugal
area: 40 m²
photography: Ivo Tavares | @ivotavaresstudio
myrto katsikopoulou I conceive
Sep 13, 2022
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