Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

These Restored 19th-Century Apartments in Portugal Boast Original Fresco-Lined Walls

These Restored 19th-Century Apartments in Portugal Boast Original Fresco-Lined Walls

In the historic Baixa Pombalina district of Lisbon, Portugal, the multiyear renovation of an abandoned 19th-century building uncovers a magnificent surprise.

In Lisbon, Portugal, local firm José Adrião Arquitetos reimagined an old apartment building in the heart of the historic Baixa Pombalina district. "The structure was severely dilapidated," says lead architect José Adrião Martins. "It had been greatly weakened by the demolition of ground-level walls, which led to the floors settling."



For the renovation, the firm was tasked with changing the configuration of the corner building from two apartments to three per floor, all while preserving as much of the original Pombaline-style layout as possible.



When construction began in 2017, the team’s first goal to tackle was correcting the structural shortcomings of the dilapidated 19th-century building. "We sought to repair previous roof damage in addition to reconstructing the ground level," says the architect. It was during this time that the firm also made a surprising discovery.



"Examination of the wall paintings revealed the existence of successive layers of frescoes and tempera paintings in all of the apartments," Martins says. "Preserving them became one of the most important concerns of the whole project."



To avoid scraping the detailed frescoes, which had been hidden for decades under new layers of paint on the walls, the team altered the existing renovation strategy by developing "new solutions for installing the building infrastructure," Martins says.



Though the architects initially planned to restore all of the original frescoes and artworks, they eventually decided to leave the paintings in their current states. "The consensus was that these traces of the past should be left as they are-overlapping and incomplete-with all of their flaws," says Martins. "We endeavored to reveal the sheer complexity of the building [and] the multitude of transformations that it has undergone over time."



Now, the restored apartment building features a captivating blend of old and new. "To meet the contemporary demands of comfort and mobility, we introduced an elevator near the stairway enclosure in a central area of the building that enables to safeguard the stairway," Martins says.

New windows were also installed throughout each unit, along with upgraded fixtures and finishes. Refinished hardwoods line the floors, complementing the historic artwork that wraps the walls on each level.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
×