220 Azul

The Casa Azul is built on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, at Largo dos Penedos da Índia, in Sines. The built complex consists of two adjacent volumes, functionally unified in the 1980s to house the administrative services of the Port of Sines. In its original configuration, the two buildings were independent. The corner building stands out as a landmark within the urban fabric of Sines since the early 20th century, and was known at the time as the Casa Árabe (Arab House).
Throughout its history, the complex has undergone successive interventions. As part of the unification process, various expansion and alteration projects were submitted to the Sines City Council, with work continuing until 2007. However, the execution of incomplete interior works compromised the structural integrity of the buildings, leading to significant deterioration.
The current design strategy is based on continuing the unification process, aiming to convert the two buildings into a single-family residence. The approach seeks to preserve the volumetric heterogeneity, the diversity of openings, and the functional multiplicity of the spaces, ensuring the legibility of the complex’s historical evolution. The intervention aims to maintain the dissonant and singular identity of the building, which stems from the formal and structural autonomy of its parts since the early 20th century.