ALFAMA 2.0 is a rehabilitation project for Lisbon’s oldest district, preserving its traditional tile facades while renewing decayed interiors with sustainable, net-zero structures. It tackles steep topography with bridges, walkways, and elevators, ensuring accessibility for elderly residents. By treating buildings as a connected whole with semi-public courtyards, galleries, and mixed-use spaces, it strengthens local commerce and community life, boosting Lisbon’s resilience against mass tourism and gentrification.
In the 21st century, cities often chase the new and high-tech while neglecting the historic cores that root communities in place. ALFAMA 2.0 challenges this trend by reactivating Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood, preserving its iconic tiled facades and narrow streets while addressing its aging population, steep terrain, and fragile housing stock. The design respects Alfama’s heritage yet looks ahead, proposing a network of bridges, lifts, and walkways that ease circulation for elderly residents, making daily life accessible and dignified. By transforming deteriorated interiors into mixed-use spaces, the project brings together homes, small businesses, and community facilities to revitalize local life. Public courtyards and semi-open galleries invite neighbors and visitors to share spaces, countering the hollowing effect of excessive tourism and speculative gentrification. Instead of pushing long-term residents out, ALFAMA 2.0 strengthens their presence by providing affordable, adaptable housing and spaces for local shops and cultural activities. This urban strategy demonstrates that historic neighborhoods can evolve into productive, resilient districts while maintaining their character, ensuring that Lisbon’s oldest soul remains vibrant, inhabited, and sustainable for generations to come.
2014
unbuilt
Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal
9992,8449 sqm
