travel
Photography: João Guimarães
12 / 03 / 2024
A building full of history in the centre of Lisbon, once owned by the Sagres Insurance Company and later acquired by the Azorean group Bensaude, which transformed it into its head office, de-characterising its interiors and façades in the process, is now enjoying a comeback following a seven-year restoration project by the architect team led by Luís Rebelo de Andrade.
The hotel is now owned by the AT Group, whose My Story Hotels brand already owns a number of hotel units in the capital and whose economic activities include other challenges, goods and products. With the inauguration of this latest Art Legacy Hotel, the AT Group has now entered the five-star hotel segment which, according to the AT Group CEO Acácio Teixeira, is a much more complex and demanding challenge.
For Luís Rebelo de Andrade, responsible for restoring the building, nothing could be more logical than returning it to its former splendour and glamour. Based on existing photographic research, the Rebelo de Andrade studio not only recovered and restored the façades of the Pomballine-era building, but also reorganised the entire interior in order to accommodate 53 rooms and the Áurea restaurant, which is open to the public. He was also responsible for all the interiors and decoration of the premises; and this is where the Dutch company Moooi comes in as the exclusive protagonist (with the exception of the beds) to furnish and give soul to this hotel.
For Luís Rebelo de Andrade, responsible for restoring the building, nothing could be more logical than returning it to its former splendour and glamour. Based on existing photographic research, the Rebelo de Andrade studio not only recovered and restored the façades of the Pomballine-era building, but also reorganised the entire interior in order to accommodate 53 rooms and the Áurea restaurant, which is open to the public. He was also responsible for all the interiors and decoration of the premises; and this is where the Dutch company Moooi comes in as the exclusive protagonist (with the exception of the beds) to furnish and give soul to this hotel.
During a conversation with the architect on the opening night last January, we learned that it all started with a trip to the Milan trade fair seven years ago, where the decision was made to equip the space with the Moooi mono-brand — of which Marcel Wanders has been the creative director from the outset. Moooi’s product portfolio includes a wide range of solutions, from lighting to furniture, from wallpaper to carpets, and even bed linen solutions. In other words, the whole range needed to furnish all the interiors of any project.
For more information, visit AT GROUP and Rebelo de Andrade.
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