Belmont Palace, Lisbon

Location Lisbon Castle
Promotor Belmonte Palace
Status 1st. Phase Delivered
Year 2011-2013

Scope Preparation of an urban regeneration project and its implementation plan

Context

The Belmonte Palace, one of the city’s secret treasures, is a classified monument located on the walls of St. George’s Castle in Lisbon. It was initially built in 1449 on the Roman and Moorish ruins surrounding the old Alcazaba and Moorish walls, being subsequently converted into a noble private residence comprising an entrance gate (D. Fradique) and two towers from the 15th. and 16th. Centuries. In 1640 the building was expanded to include its fantastic terrace and current five fronts in classic style. Almost 100 years later between 1720 and 1730, the masters of Portuguese ceramic tiling Manuel Santos and Valentim de Almeida added a collection of 59 panels with more than 30.000 tiles which describe scenes of Christianity and the court of the period. Recently Belmonte Palace was converted into a Charm Hotel with 10 suites commanding the highest room rates in Lisbon.

Services

Placemakers defined the strategy for expanding the Palace based on a mission to position and optimise the property as a catalyst for an urban regeneration programme for this special neighbourhood in the city, becoming simultaneously a new point of reference for the historical centre of Lisbon.  A multidisciplinary team helped in the concept and development of the urban regeneration project and its implementation plan based on expanding the Palace and the creation of a new reference point for the Castle area of Lisbon.