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A home inspired by Eduardo Souto de Moura’s Casa das Històrias Paula Rego
In its design of Casa Emma, a home in Morelia, central Mexico, HW Studio drew its inspiration from the iconic pyramids of the Casa das Històrias Paula Rego museum and the image of a descending ray of light that designs spaces, subtracts mass, and triggers emotions.
“For years, we’d heard about the museum dedicated to Paula Rego designed by Eduardo Souto,” the architects said. “And a few years ago, we got the chance to visit it. We felt moved from the moment we stepped inside. Then, once we were underneath one of the pyramids, we felt a sense of wonder and a serenity that’s hard to put into words. Sunlight filters gently in through a high skylight, illuminating the internal surfaces in a golden glow. It’s as if the entire building is immersed in a velvety, warm light that touches and breathes life into it everything.”
With these sensations and images in mind, the HW Studio design team has likewise breathed life into its Casa Emma project, skillfully capturing the sun’s rays and reproducing the same effects on a smaller scale.
Adding to the warm, welcoming mood of the home, the interiors feature wood paneling throughout, with the tables and chairs in the same material. The architects’ goal was to replicate, enhance, and pay homage to the beauty of Souto de Moura’s architecture and the deep feelings it evokes. But an added challenge in this ambitious project was the small lot. So, as well as needing to optimize the functional areas in relatively small spaces – which prompted the addition of a mezzanine floor – it was necessary to focus on predominantly zenithal lighting and ventilation. Apart from the softer lines of some seats and the spiral staircase, clear geometric lines define the design of the interiors, with the angled lines descending from the roof leading the eye upwards to where the light enters. This is precisely what happens beneath the pyramids of Casa das Històrias Paula Rego. Since it needed to be lighter and reproduce the image of a fluffy cloud, the mezzanine is the only element not made of timber.
This project invites you to immerse yourself in, and dialogue with, the language of light. According to the design team, it’s a place to reconnect with and elevate your soul.
Location: Morelia, Michoacán, México
Architects: HW Studio
Completion: July 2024
Building Area: 54 m2
Site Area: 40 m2
Leads Architects: Rogelio Vallejo Bores
Structural Engineering: ARGA Constructora
Construction company: Alberto Gallegos Negrete (Grupo GAPSE)
Clients: Alejandro Solís Hernández
Photography by César Béjar, courtesy of HW Studio
