Sensitively restored Lisbon apartments make for an authentic mini-break
Antiga Casa Pessoa is home to rentable Lisbon apartments, beautifully restored by architect José Adrião

These Lisbon apartments, available to rent short-term, are housed within a formerly dilapidated building in the city’s Baixa Pombalina, faithfully restored to its original glory by friends and business partners Maria Eugenia Ocantos and Pedro Ramos. The project preserves both the original structure and the frescoes and paintings uncovered during the renovation, after decades spent hidden.
Antiga Casa Pessoa Lisbon apartments
Architect José Adrião was at the helm of the ambitious project. ‘He had already rehabilitated a building in Baixa and, in addition to his technical experience, we loved his architecture,’ the duo say. ‘It was the right choice, as the project was developed based on the history and quality of the building. The respect that José has for the identity of the place and for the heritage, combined with the clarity of the desire to reconcile the past with the present, and also with the future, was very attractive to us.’
Begun in 2014 and completed in 2021, the sensitive restoration was recently recognised by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Gulbenkian Heritage Prize, which bestowed an honourable mention, while the 2021 FAD Awards in Barcelona also named it a finalist. ‘The Gulbenkian architect jury members, such as Gonçalo Byrne, loved the connection between the architectural hardness of the Pombaline building and the proposal of placing the building in the 21st century,’ add Ocantos and Ramos.
‘The building has spent half of its history vacant for various reasons and had not undergone any interventions. We added the bathrooms, elevator and kitchens without destroying walls or historic elements of the building. The frescoes on the old ceilings as well as the original floor were preserved under the new ones. All the apartments have paintings or frescoes.’
An otherwise minimalist interior decor allows visitors to interact with the space in their own way. ‘It is a pleasure for us to see people who stay in our apartments become interested in the history of the building and feel that they have become part of it. This is how we started to receive people on medium-term stays.’
Apartments available to rent for stays of three days to a year, antigacasapessoa.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
Ulla Johnson’s collaboration with artist Julie Hamisky on the A/W 2025 runway is blooming lovely
Ulla Johnson and French artist Julie Hamisky have created 12 new jewellery pieces for the designer's A/W 2025 runway
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Tasneem Sarkez's heady mix of kitsch, Arabic and Americana hits London
Artist Tasneem Sarkez draws on an eclectic range of references for her debut solo show, 'White-Knuckle' at Rose Easton
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
Meet Minnette de Silva, the trailblazing Sri Lankan modernist architect
Sri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva is celebrated in a new book by author Anooradha Iyer Siddiq, who looks into the modernist's work at the intersection of ecology, heritage and craftsmanship
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinations
Discover the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners – the year’s places to stay, dine, drink and join – and watch our video to find out why they won
By Lauren Ho Published
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Lisbon hotel Locke de Santa Joana wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2025
Born from the restoration of an old convent, Locke de Santa Joana receives our Best Opening award for its design inventiveness and sunny disposition
By Mary Lussiana Last updated
-
Jam Hotel Lisbon is a showcase of circularity and craft
Jam Hotel in Lisbon by Lionel Jadot and Jean-Paul Pütz offsets the raw aesthetic of its repurposed office building with eclectic art, craft and design with a focus on upcycling
By Rupert Eden Published
-
Eneko — Lisbon, Portugal
By Mary Lussiana Last updated
-
Esqina Cosmopolitan Lodge — Lisbon, Portugal
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Bairro Alto Hotel — Lisbon, Portugal
By Mary Lussiana Last updated
-
The Vintage Hotel & Spa — Lisbon, Portugal
By Mary Lussiana Last updated