Porto

A view of our town, looking towards the Cathedral. In the foreground, one of the ubiquitous skylights which populate it.

ENGRAVING AND GILDING SIGNS

This golden shop window really showcases what they did best, and what can still be seen over many doors in downtown Porto - beautiful gilt lettering over glass, advertising for goods.

MODERNE HEATER

The floor heater at Casa de Serralves, in Porto, is a piece of sculpture in polished brass erupting out of the marble floor. You can almost believe it could actually move up and down, complete with the top floor piece still attached. As always, perfect design and execution in Porto's greatest gesamtkunstverk, with the Ruhlmann interiors beautifully complementing Marques da Silva's architecture. Pity it didn't last like that to our days, and the now spartan white-painted interiors are somewhat used for performances or installations, but the hard surfaces and fixtures still remain as testament to less utilitarian and pseudo-minimalist times.

TILES

Private House, Rua de Passos Manuel, Porto

DOOR KNOCKER

Private House, Rua de Santa Catarina, Porto

CASA HORTÍCOLA

Casa Hortícola, Mercado do Bolhão, Porto.
A lot has already been said about this in The World of Interiors, but unfortunately it's not availabe online. The seed store is a gem on one of the corners of the Bolhão market in Porto. The market is visited by hundreds of tourists every day, but in spite of this its conditions border the insalubrious, with pigeons walking inbetween the flowers and pieces of stucco falling from the ceiling. The produce is without compare in the city though, and we can only hope this store remains open for long.

DOORBELL

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto.

INTERIOR WOOD DOOR

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto. Faux-painted and decorated door.

ESTAÇÃO DE SERVIÇO PASSOS MANUEL

Garagem Passos Manuel, Porto  (1937 - Architect Mário Abreu)

There is no single corner of this parking garage building which is not designed. With steel windows, tiled columns, its interior plaster texture, the neon lighted map of Portugal, the light fixtures, the terrazzo stairs... this building is so much more that just a functional parking place. And if in the ground floor the beautiful store front remains empty, the top floor loft is occupied by one of the best known bars in the nightlife of Porto - Maus Hábitos - offering a nice place for a drink with a great view over town.

MANJERICOS

Two weeks ago it was "São João", the biggest party in Porto. The traditional Manjericos (bush basil) are grown at this time and displayed at people's houses and balconies. Each has a little paper flag with a cheeky verse.

INTERIOR DOOR

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto

DECO DOOR HANDLE 2

And another door handle in Serralves. This time between outside and the dining room, where the table was indeed designed by Ruhlmann for the Count of Vizela.

DECO DOOR HANDLE

Serralves, a door handle over a mirrored door inside a dressing room. Did we mention Ruhlmann worked here? So did Marques da Silva, whose time is coming for a post or two.

MARCOLINO WALL WATCH

Garagem Passos Manuel, Porto  (1937 - Architect Mário Abreu).

LUBRIFICAÇÃO ESPECIALIZADA

Garagem Passos Manuel, Porto  (1937 - Architect Mário Abreu). This is the 200th post!

PAINTED PLASTER CEILING

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto

WOOD FIREPLACE

Private House, Rua do Rosário, Porto

VISUAL ANALOG SCALE

Scale "Ancora", Manufacted by Manuel Ferraz, Porto

PLASTER TEXTURE

Garagem Passos Manuel, Porto  (1937 - Architect Mário Abreu)

30's STAIRS

Garagem Passos Manuel, Porto  (1937 - Architect Mário Abreu)