There is a fascinating and ever-present tension between the old and the new, the commonplace and the avant-garde in
OTTOTTO’s GreenHouse located in Portugal’s capital Porto. Existing stone walls lay encased beneath layers of metallic mesh – a moment that embodies the ethos of the entire project. Original features from the past are polished and brought into the 21st century, now interwoven with a lattice of exposed green structural beams that are the symbol of the contemporary renovation.
Upon engaging with the project, OTTOTTO discovered the stone walls that formed the structural bones of the original building. Peeling back layers of plaster, their striking imperfect quality was revealed, and naturally, they became the king of the subsequent design. A grid of metallic mesh now sits on top, adding another layer to the ever-evolving narrative of the house. An industrial aesthetic is injected with exposed steel dipped in a vivacious deep green. The colour jumps from the structure onto the floor, forming a colourful carpet. One does not have to guess where the home’s name came from, as the colour quickly becomes a primary theme in the project narrative.
