Arriba revamps an apartment in Lisbon

Portuguese studio Arriba has revamped a small apartment in Lisbon and through his photographs, Ricardo Oliveira Alves tells us whole the story, capturing the essence of this makeover that plays on the system of spatial organisation.



Portuguese architecture and interior design studio Arriba has revamped a small apartment in Bica do Sapato, Lisbon. Remaining faithful to their mission of improving the day-to-day lives of their clients by completely rethinking spaces- from the details to the city setting - Arriba has given the original apartment a brand new look and feel.





The designers describe this multi-level apartment as a maze with two ends opening to the outside - a small enclosed patio at one end and the large French doors at the other. To make the rooms more usable and brighter in general, the designers moved things around and created new connections - like the one between the living room and kitchen - giving the interiors a streamlined and flowing layout.





The focal element of the project is the bespoke construction of a system of carpentry and furniture in light-coloured birch wood. This design option makes the most of the floor plan and at the same time offers maximum comfort to the occupants - it's all very sleek and simple while eschewing a "minimal at any cost" style.





We are drawn into the warmth of the “Casa na Bica do Sapato” designed by Arriba through the empathetic story-telling of photographer Ricardo Oliveira Alves. His photos showcase all the architectural details of the project and at the same time get across its whole feel.



When you look at the photos you can smell the light fragrance of wood permeating through the whole apartment and feel the cool floor under your feet. What were the words of Oscar Wilde? "Sensations are the details that build up the stories of our lives."
Casa na Bica do Sapato designed by Arriba and seen through the eyes of Ricardo Oliveira Alves seems to be proof positive of just that.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Arriba, http://www.arriba.pt
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Year: 2015 
Images: © Ricardo Oliveira Alves, http://www.ricardooliveiraalves.com/