A small “palace” in Porto, inspired by a painting by Rosseau

A tiny building in a narrow, lush Porto garden shines like a precious and refined jewel, despite its size.

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Collage

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 site plan

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 plan

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 section

Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

How can a small building of 40 square metres be called a 'palace'? If one does not give in to size prejudice, in fact this tiny but elegant piece of architecture has all the features of a precious jewel set in a lush garden that seems to have come straight out of Henri Rousseau's painting "The Dream", from which the designers of Fala Atelier drew their inspiration (minus the lions, elephants and exotic birds).

Fala Atelier, Very Tiny Palazzo, Porto, Portugal 2021. Collage

The building is an extension of an existing construction located on a narrow plot in Porto and has a very simple layout: a single room at two different heights marked by a step that separates the functional areas – the living room and the service area – without impeding the visual continuity of the environment. The single-storey envelope seems to subvert the gravitational order of the masses: the lower part on the short sides is characterised by diaphanous fronts, entirely glazed and light, which visually interconnect the space with the garden and dematerialise the boundary between inside and outside; the upper part is characterised by a massive crowning that seems to float on the void, in which precious stone elements are set.

Fala Atelier, Very Tiny Palazzo, Porto, Portugal 2021. Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

The interiors are essential but refined, with a light-coloured palette that expands the space and creates a diffuse light effect. A single full-height cupboard, which surrounds the services, houses small closets (perhaps secret hiding places, as befits a true ‘mansion’).

Fala Atelier, Very Tiny Palazzo, Porto, Portugal 2021. Photo Ivo Tavares Studio
  • "Very Tiny Palazzo"
  • Fala Atelier
  • Filipe Magalhães, Ana Luisa Soares, Ahmed Belkhodja, Lera Samovich, Ana Lima, Rute Peixoto, Paulo Sousa
  • Oh Land
  • Jst Lda
  • Porto, Portugal
Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

Collage

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

site plan

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

plan

Fala Atelier, "Very Tiny Palazzo", Porto, Portugal 2021 Photo Ivo Tavares Studio

section