The architecture and design studio OITOEMPONTO, formed by Artur Miranda and Jacques Bec, is in charge of the renovation process of the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, a project that is being developed in phases from its reopening in 2021 and is scheduled for completion in 2026. The intervention seeks to recover the original essence of the hotel inaugurated in 1959, combining historical elements with the demands of contemporary comfort.
The hotel, designed by architect Porfirio Pardal Monteiro and completed by his nephew Antonio Pardal Monteiro, was conceived as a symbol of modernity and prestige in Portugal. The current renovation is inspired by the principles of the original modernist design and the decorative style of Henri Samuel, who gave the building a unique visual identity based on Art Deco and Louis XVI elements.
OITOEMPONTO’s proposal keeps intact many of the hotel’s emblematic decorative elements, such as the Almada Negreiros tapestries, bas-reliefs by Portuguese artists and paintings by artists such as Maria Vieira da Silva. In the rooms, original furniture recovered from the hotel’s storerooms has been restored and redesigned, and noble materials such as marble and oak have been used, respecting the aesthetics of the 1960s.
The design includes contemporary technical elements and a reinterpretation of classic furniture, while improvements have been made to the acoustics, lighting and functionality of the spaces. Carpets and fabrics have also been redesigned based on original Portuguese motifs, bringing continuity to the concept of heritage renovation.
“The first thing we did was to go into the storerooms. A lot of furniture and appliances from lighting were stored there. We dug them out. That was our starting point to reconnect with the history of the place“.
“We proceeded with respect and even tenderness, as with an old woman whose elegance had to be restored. For example, we tried to modify as little as possible. Her gigantic washbasins, ordered from the United States, are extraordinary, spacious and sensual, and the marble is the most beautiful in Portugal because Pardal Monteiro’s father was a marble worker. We only intervened in the showers to enlarge them.”
The lift lobbies have recovered their large Royère-style armchairs and neoclassical chandeliers. The effect is a perfect balance between evocation of the past and contemporary lifestyle. Once again, Artur Miranda and Jacques Bec have opted for harmony and coherence.
In parallel, a private club was completed on the sixth floor in 2024, the result of the merger of three suites, combining handcrafted woodwork with Fortuny fabrics and a reinterpretation of the 18th century decorative style.
The intervention covers three floors already renovated, four in progress and the remaining ones planned for the coming months.
