Convent of Nossa Senhora da Estrela
Rehabilitation and Transformation, Lisbon
[1st Prize, Open Competition]
Built in 1572, the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Estrela has been shaped by more than four centuries of successive transformations. First a college, later a hospital, the complex has continuously adapted to changing programmes while retaining the traces of its layered history.
Between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, new buildings were inserted within the former convent enclosure, helping to establish the urban fabric that progressively formed around it, particularly along Largo da Basílica da Estrela.
The project rethinks the complex as a contemporary residential community, introducing 100 housing units while preserving its architectural identity. Rather than treating heritage as a static condition, the proposal uses the existing structure as the framework for a new form of collective living.
The intervention restores the complex’s most significant heritage elements, particularly its Baroque morphology shaped by the reconstruction following the 1755 earthquake. It also transforms the ancillary buildings and former convent enclosure, introducing a new underground car park as part of the wider strategy for the site.
New infrastructure and structural reinforcement are integrated with the conservation strategy, allowing the historic buildings to meet contemporary standards without erasing their material and architectural character. The project is conceived as a precise balance between continuity and transformation.
The project extends beyond the buildings themselves. A direct connection to the new metro station strengthens the complex’s relationship with the city, while the former convent enclosure is opened and integrated into Jardim da Estrela. The intervention thus reconnects the monastery, the garden and the public realm, transforming a historically enclosed site into an active part of the city.
