A round opening to break the mold: this is the intervention that the Portuguese architect Manuel Tojal, head of the homonymous architecture firm, has designed to strengthen the unity of the living area of two almost symmetrical apartments located in the same building in the Picoas district of Lisbon. Equipped with a bench that is intended to be a multifunctional support surface not only for objects, but also and above all for people, the span breaks the orthogonality of the rooms. In the architect's intentions, this element is linked to an experience of space use already proposed by some examples of art deco architecture, here updated in a contemporary key also to encourage the use of hi-tech devices. 

The choice of finishes contributes to reinforce the sense of continuity of the apartments, dating back to the early nineteenth century. On the ground, wooden planks cover the entire surface. Furthermore, the use of pastel green, typical of the building's construction period, is applied extensively on skirting boards, doors and custom-made furniture, including the entire kitchen block. In the passageways, the presence of green is also reinforced on entire walls and on the ceiling thanks to the interesting detail of the parallel strips that run in the corridor ceiling. Lioz stone tops on the kitchen counter and handmade tiles in the bathrooms recall the link with local identity and tradition.