Hostel rehabilitation
In the heart of Ribeira, in an urban rehabilitation area (ARU) in Porto's historic center, a new hostel has sprung up in a ruined building. Contemplating three apartments, each with a bathroom and kitchenette, this space has been completely renovated, maintaining the original interior features, such as the façade and granite walls, characteristic elements of Porto's old architecture. In this rehabilitation, it was essential to reinforce the structures and adapt the materials in order to preserve the heritage and give a new lease of life to a building that has now been transformed into local accommodation on the banks of the River Douro.
Hostel rehabilitation
Due to the extensive deterioration inside the building, it was first necessary to demolish its interior, preserving all the load-bearing walls. The façade and all the openings were restored and refurbished. It was also decided to demolish the original staircase and install a metal staircase as an organizational element of the space.
As this is a refurbishment, the rooms are reminiscent of the old style of the town houses, with an attempt to preserve the solid granite masonry visible only on one of the bedroom walls. The walls that were still in good condition were kept visible and the rest were refurbished with new finishing materials.
To balance out the colder tone of the exposed stone walls, we laid pine wood flooring. The contrast between the rough granite exterior and the restored interior of the hostel complements each other, as does the interior garden, which has been kept, thus preserving the heritage.
Finally, the skylights were replaced with more thermally efficient ones, allowing for more natural light, an advantage of the top floor apartment. Thus, the family atmosphere of this hostel in the heart of the city becomes even more inviting, with a more contemporary and renovated space, without losing its essence.
