Docomomo Portugal wishes to draw attention to the risk that Bairro das Caixas (Caixas Neighborhood) in Parede, Cascais, may fall into a state of irreversible disrepair. Designed by the Portuguese architect Ruy Jervis d’Athouguia between 1957 and 1962, the neighborhood, is a representative housing complex of Portuguese modern architecture, of great significance within the body of work of Ruy d’Athouguia. It must, thus, be much more widely recognised and appreciated. However, without any effective conservation policy in place, it has now, for 60 years, been suffering progressive deterioration, being under risk.

“Positioned chronologically after the Bairro das Estacas (1949–1958) and before the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum (1959–1969), this project holds great significance within the context of Ruy d’Athouguia’s work.

The neighborhood is composed of seven blocks, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the main road, arranged along a north–south axis, with notable spacing and rhythm that enhance the quality of the ground plan. The layout of the buildings allows for the creation of a generous central garden space, and the distance between blocks highlights the importance given to the street as a lived public space. Ruy d’ Athouguia introduces an urban model closer to the German Siedlungen, where, through a design that seeks to root the buildings—stone entrance walls and the stone plinths on which the blocks rest—he demonstrates a stronger connection to the site, intentionally evoking the memory of the former stone quarry that once existed there.

For a mid-20th-century urban complex built at low cost, the design quality is particularly striking: all rooms have natural light, with special attention to full height sliding windows in all bedrooms and living rooms; all spaces benefit from natural cross-ventilation; solar orientation and shading are carefully considered; and each unit includes a private outdoor space.

Now just over 60 years old, this important modernist heritage site is undergoing increasing degradation and remains without any effective protection from the state. Disfigurement of the façades is becoming the norm, and the public space is gradually being devalued. It is crucial to understand that the Bairro das Caixas is a piece of modernist architectural heritage that must be recognized, valued, protected, and modernized.”

This contribution stems from the significant research work that architect Adriano Niel has been conducting since 2022 on the Bairro das Caixas housing complex, having reached out Docomomo Portugal to raise more attention for the need of its protection. Thanks to a grant from Cascais Municipal Council, the architect has undertaken an in-depth analysis ranging from the retrieval of archival data to the mapping of the current state of disrepair, and the direct involvement of the local community in defining the neighbourhood’s future prospects.

To know more, please visit the digital archive of the Bairro das Caixas:  website.courtesy