Arquitectura-G Proves That Memorable Architecture Doesn’t Need to be Complicated.

Photography: Maxime Delvaux.

When Barcelona-based Arquitectura-G took on the renovation of a long-abandoned wine cellar and workers’ quarters in Sintra, Portugal, they made a bold chromatic decision that elevates this project from restoration to revelation. The power of their blue-pigmented concrete intervention speaks to the power of fully committing to a single colour, creating a space that’s both memorable and coherent.

The building, part of a historic quinta de recreio (recreational estate), had languished for decades before becoming the third in Arquitectura-G’s sequence of interventions aimed at restoring vitality to the property and its vineyards. Strict heritage rules meant the team couldn’t touch the exterior volume, façades, or roof. But rather than seeing this as a limitation, they focused all their energy on the interior—and that’s where the magic happens.

Acne Studios Stockholm Flagship by Arquitectura-G.

Arquitectura-G's Acne Stockholm flagship transforms the site of the infamous six-day hostage siege in 1973, which coined the psychological phenomenon known as the "Stockholm Syndrome".

Photography: Maxime Delvaux.

Here’s what they did: stripped the structure back to its stone walls, then inserted a new body of blue-pigmented concrete that rises from the basement cellar, winds up through a spiral staircase, and forms the floor slabs above. The ground floor now flows openly—kitchen, dining, and living spaces wrap around the staircase. Upstairs, bedrooms sit at either end, with a second living area bathed in natural light via a skylight.

But the real genius is in the commitment. The blue concrete isn’t doing its own thing—it’s matched perfectly to the painted steel staircase and echoed in the blue onyx bathrooms. This isn’t just about picking a colour, but rather about following through completely, creating a unified experience where the blue works as both structure and atmosphere.

All-Yellow Duplex in Sant Gervas by Arquitectura-G.

If you’re up for a pop of yellow, this comprehensive Barcelona renovation will be just your cup of tea. Arquitectura-G has given this family home a burst of sunshine.

Photography: Francisco Ascensao.

Colour drenching, when done right, has serious power. It pulls everything together and creates drama. Here, the blue sits against those historic stone walls as a clear marker of what’s new, while still respecting the building’s past. The spiral staircase, flooded with natural light from above, becomes the sculptural heart of the house.

Arquitectura-G proves that memorable architecture doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes it’s about making one strong call and executing it perfectly in every detail. In House II, blue isn’t merely decoration but the idea that organises everything, transforming an old agricultural building into something singular.

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François Leite brings a home left in ruins back to life. Now only a ruin in spirit, the house doubles as a gallery, where young Portuguese and French artists live, work and exhibit.

[Images courtesy of Arquitectura-G. Photography by Maxime Delvaux. Construction photography by Francisco Ascensão.]