Architectural Record 2015-02

85
COASTAL ROOTS
A series of steps and
landings leads visitors
from a parking lot
(not shown) to the
restaurant, creating a
winding procession
that alternates
views of the sea with
close-ups of the
architecture. The
building nestles into
its rocky, sloped site,
so people enter from
the upper level. New
roof tiles were made
to match the originals,
but do not yet have
the weathered look of
those on neighboring
buildings.
Fortunately, the building had important defenders, led by
the Casa da Arquitectura, a local civic association dedicated
to documenting and promoting Portugal’s contemporary
architecture. Despite the country’s deep economic crisis, the
organization persuaded the town to restore the structure,
after the central government declared it a National
Monument, together with Siza’s nearby seaside swimming
pools of 1962, which did not require restoration. The town
brought in Rui Paula, a celebrated chef from Porto, to launch
an ambitious restaurant in the space. Siza and his team
updated the kitchens to Paula’s specifications, and immaculately
restored the building, its interiors, and grounds to
their original state, including the custom-designed furniture
and woodwork.
Boa Nova marked a turning point in the rebirth of
Portuguese modernism during the waning years of the
Salazar dictatorship (1932–74), which had isolated the country
for decades. With its low tiled roofs and deep eaves hovering
over the rocks, counterbalanced by irregular, whitewashed
vertical volumes rising to form a chimney and a light scoop,
the building mixes elements from Portuguese vernacular
architecture with influences from Scandinavia, Frank Lloyd
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