Sunday Escape - Wall House

On the western Atlantic coast, there is a region known as the Portuguese Riviera.

Here, just 20 minutes west of Lisbon, on the edge of the Oitavos Dunes golf course, among the sand dunes and natural pine trees of Sintra Cascais National Park there is Wall House, a unique villa of its kind. The structure designed by José Guedes Cruz, César Marques and Marco Marinho of Guedes Cruz Architects studio have an audacious design and, at the same time, minimalist focused on natural elements of the surrounding landscape.

Built on a plot of 24,649 square feet, Wall House is entirely made of concrete, wood, and glass and is developed around a large patio that perfectly connects the interior and exterior spaces of the house. On the one hand, its glass wall can be opened to create a direct connection with the outdoor living spaces, while the wooden shell of the concrete exterior walls can be shut when privacy is desired and offer protection against the Atlantic winds.

The feature that makes this Portuguese villa special?
The bridge-like structure with two bisecting pools: one on the ground level and the other on the first floor hanging over it. A glass bottom not only creates a surreal visual effect that gives the illusion of floating in the air but offers swimmers the opportunity to look at each other and perhaps move in unison.