Old Elementary School Building Gets New Life in Vagos, Portugal

Project: Center for Development and Promotion of Water Sports
Architects: Romulo Neto Arquitetos
Location: Praia da Vagueira, Vagos, Portugal
Area: 2,685 sq ft
Year: 2022
Photographs by: Ivo Tavares Studio

Water Sports Development and Promotion Center by Romulo Neto Arquitetos

The project was developed when we accepted an invitation from the Câmara Municipal de Vagos to transform a closed-down elementary school, built across the country in large numbers during the 20th century between 1941 and 1969 under the 'Estado Novo' regime.

We turned it into a training center for the development and promotion of water sports, offering the best solution within a limited budget. New interior spaces were created to meet the owner's goals, with floors in old classrooms left unchanged since they were made from high-quality solid pine.

To give the interior a maritime feel, aluminum panels featuring marine motifs were created using CNC cutting techniques, specifically between the gym and lounge area and behind the bar counter. Designing the beds was also a major challenge since 8 beds had to be placed in an area of 33 m². They were carefully designed from wood and crafted to ensure privacy, aesthetics, and functionality.

Overall, this work is the result of a series of small spaces: sports hall, training room, dining area, bar, changing rooms, and medical support facilities that energize and sustain local water sports based on existing infrastructure.

- Project description and images provided by Ivo Tavares Studio