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Architects: José Carlos Cruz
- Area: 120 m²
- Year: 2010
Text description provided by the architects. For years, Porto Downtown was a day-time zone. This was the civic center and buildings were occupied by offices and comercial stores. The gentrification phenomenon made people move to cheaper zones, leaving housing buildings empty and a desert atmosphere at night.
With the advent of new rehabilitation politics and a series of incentives, new kinds of businesses were created and in two years turned the whole civic-center into the bohemian-center. BAIXA stands for “Downtown” and its inserted in a context where buildings have a Paris beaux-arts style.
The idea for the Project was set on that Parisian ambience as a starting point. The space was divided in two rooms with the facilities between them. One is designed to relax and have a drink, while the other one is to dance.
The first room, next to the entrance, works as an extension of the exterior environment. Decorated with plaster frames on the walls and rosettes on the ceiling, the Deco Style is abruptly interrupted by a sculpted tunnel that links to the other room.
With a whole different environment, the second room is where the dance floor is located and was inspired by a Sol Lewitt installation. The mirror ceiling gives it the “Disco look” that was intended.
Text provided by José Carlos Cruz
