Marinha Prime

Cascais, Portugal

2020–2017

During WW2, to benefit from Portuguese neutrality, exiled European royalty and aristocracy began settling in Estoril.  Back then, the neighbouring Cascais, was little more than a fishermen’s village with a wild and uninhabited coastline of cliffs and golden beaches, stretching up to Cabo da Roca, – Continental Europe’s most westerly point.  When in the early 1920s the wealthy army doctor Carlos Champalimaud bought the Quinta da Marinha estate, he had his mind set to develop an unparalleled golf resort for Europe’s wealthy retirees.

Ninety years later, Quinta da Marinha is one of the most affluent addresses in the greater Lisbon region.  At a 30-minute drive from Lisbon’s city and airport, the estate is a comprehensive and mature resort of some 400 hectares, including two golf courses, three 5-star hotels, villas, condominiums and a renowned equestrian centre among other amenities.

The 55 serviced-units, which constitute the ensemble, were designed in a jagged configuration so as to adapt and meander through the mature and protected Stone pines (Pinus pinea). Inspired by the contrast between the steep monumental cliffs of the coast line and the ocean’s deep blue mass as geological metaphor of the site, these small apartment buildings can be seen as raw stone blocks carved out of a quarry. The voids or negatives that remain function as balconies. Given the expansive views, the design makes widespread use the rooftops for pools and lounge areas.

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Location: Quinta da Marinha (Cascais), Portugal
Client: Habitat Invest and Noronha Sanches
Project Brief: 5-star touristic apartments
Gross Built Area: 23,850 sq. m
Estimated Construction Cost: EUR 22m
Project Status: 2007 (concept design) – 2020