CASAS PALCO

Courtesy of Rebelo de Andrade Studio

• Architects

The legend of D. Pedro and D. Inês de Castro is one of the most emblematic and tragic love stories in Portugal’s history. Although it involves real historical elements, it is also marked by a strong mythological and emotional component and has become a symbol of passion and loyalty.

Architecture is not a construction of spaces that are closed in on themselves. Architecture can (and should) be considered a stage, where nature and human beings play a vital role. It should represent the cultural identity, traditions, knowledge, and lifestyles of a community. By reinterpreting the legends and stories of a country’s culture, architects not only celebrate that legacy but also present a key reinterpretation for the present and the future.

photo_credit Courtesy of Rebelo de Andrade Studio — Courtesy of Rebelo de Andrade Studio

In 2022, Rebelo de Andrade began developing a hotel expansion project in a unique historical setting in the city of Coimbra. The project involved expanding the Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas by adding ten houses within the hotel’s forest. In this unique place, the legend and passion of D. Pedro and D. Inês de Castro are present in several points and elements — Fonte dos Amores, Fonte das Lágrimas, Cano dos Amores, Jardim Romântico, the red color of the algae, among others.

In this project, ten houses were planned — Casas Palco — situated in a forest. At Casas Palco, architecture functions as an opera completed by spectators and guests. These spaces were designed based on two typologies: a circular one representing D. Inês de Castro and a square one representing D. Pedro. We give guests the option of opening and closing their curtains, taking them on a journey and into the sensorial experience this piece evokes. In this way, the small buildings have a variable appearance depending on how they are used by viewers, creating soft optical effects of transparency and opacity that also change depending on the observation point and changes throughout the day. Due to the slope of the land, these houses function as a stage in the middle of the forest, where Coimbra is their audience.