Apartment Volta do Pátio

Paulo is the name of Volta do Pátio’s patron saint – a fabric pelican in the hallway, said to bring good energy. Which shouldn’t be too dif­ficult in a place like this. For this quietly situated, cocoon-like apartment, nestled between the creative dis­tricts of Cam­panhã and Bonfim, reveals behind its clean, sunny ochre-painted façade a colourful cele­bration full of light, airiness and carefully sel­ected details. Hidden away from the streets of Porto, yet just a few steps away from city life.

Here, amid tra­dition and renewal, tran­quillity and vibrancy, designer Daniela Eksen and architect Stefan Bul­ler­kotte have rea­lised their third project in Por­tugal: a two-storey apartment that wraps itself around two cour­tyards like an embrace, and where you can feel com­pletely at home. It works instantly, because at Volta do Pátio you almost auto­ma­ti­cally find yourself in good spirits and, after every explo­ratory tour of the city, you’re happy to return to cook in the colourful kitchen-diner or reflect on your expe­ri­ences in one of the two cour­tyards. The two private patios are the soul of this place. One is wild and untamed, bor­dered by an ageing stone wall. The other is like a well of light, bright and open, filling the rooms during the day and bathing them in a golden glow in the evening.

The striking exterior façade of the building, which houses several flats, pays homage to the old Bonfim factory buil­dings that once stood on the site. Inside, the indus­trial austerity quickly gives way to a wel­coming cosiness that strikes the perfect balance between privacy and com­munity. On the first floor are two double bed­rooms – each with an en-suite bathroom and direct access to the cour­tyards. The smaller room is a fusion of workspace and guest bed, whilst the master bedroom is a com­po­sition of high walls, vintage fur­niture, local art and tex­tiles. Life pul­sates on the ground floor, from the kitchen with its long solid-wood table to the inner cour­tyards, which extend the living room with its con­trasting sofa ele­ments and large windows – some­times as a sun deck for morning coffee, some­times as a shady reading nook for the afternoon, or in the evening as an obser­vatory.

The interior is the anti­thesis of boredom: Light-coloured walls and real wood floors set the stage on which every piece of fur­niture and object makes a statement. Here, marble meets hand­crafted pieces, modern meets vintage, and Berlin meets Porto. A well-curated coll­ection of fur­nis­hings that brings the rooms to life – creating a wel­coming home where you can expe­rience Porto not as a tourist, but as part of this fasci­na­tingly mul­ti­faceted city.

What to do

What’s going on in Porto off the beaten track: strolling through the city and experiencing everyday Portuguese life, discovering quirky bars and galleries, admiring Portuguese palacetes (stately villas), watching the hustle and bustle from cafés, try out cool restaurant concepts and feast in Portuguese tascas (small, traditional eateries), head to the sea to swim, surf or stroll, experience the art and culture scene, visit pottery, candle-making or tile-making workshops, co-working spaces, or of course everything else there is to see and experience in and around Porto

Why we like this house

A cheerful and friendly place full of light and ease.

This house is great for

Ideal for couples, families with children or small groups of friends of up to four people, as well as solo travellers who want to experience Porto from a personal perspective; also suitable for a workation

Sustainability

Public transport: Porto Campanhã station is a 5-minute walk away; electric vehicle charging points nearby

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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