Founded in the 17th century next to the Casa de Santa María, the Santa Marta Lighthouse is part of a monumental complex on the south end of Cascais. The project emerges from the need to preserve the old fortress and the lighthouse through their adaptation to new uses capable of revitalizing this decaying complex. Trapped between sea and land, over the years these structures have accumulated programs, materials, and technological systems.

This complexity of historic strata forms part of the essential spirit of the proposal. For this reason, aside from the refurbishment of the existing fragments, the project also adds new facilities – bathrooms, cafeteria, documentation center – in a low-rise band: a sort of ‘inhabited wall’ of variable use and carved geometry that frames the access to the lighthouse and serves as backdrop to a square with spectacular views over the ocean. This band is plastered with mortar rendering painted white, which emphasizes the abstract character of the composition and blends the building smoothly with the whitewashed walls of the fort. For their part, the three structures surrounding the lighthouse are clad with white ceramic pieces traditional in the region... [+]