Chafariz

In Largo do Chafariz, in Funchal, the dynamism of urban life has always been very expressive. In the heart of the historic centre, nestling next to the Cathedral, there is the square with its beautiful fountain, and opposite it, a narrow building, which, obsolete, slowly languished before the calm gaze of passers-by. Despite the small area of the plot, with 90m2, the small building enchanted, and so the will to rebuild it, imposed itself on the new owner, and combined with it, came the new programme. The location gave the building a residential use for local accommodation on the upper floors, consisting of 4 studio flats; and on the ground floor, a commercial use was located, a prestigious shop, the "Aurigem", intended to represent the Swarovski brand in Funchal and sell top quality wines. The programme and the location gave the motto for the reconstruction of the building with the preservation of the façades, maintaining the characteristics of the pre-existing building. The art of jewellery recalled the theme of Madeira embroidery and the flower as its highest expression, and the façade of the ground floor, integrates this theme in itself, which in a peculiar way extends to the ceiling of the shop and spreads in interior details to the upper floors of the whole building. And so, the art of the craftsman gains relevance here. In the shop everything has been thought through in detail, from the displays for the sale of Swarosvski products to the small Madeira wine cellar, which enchants tourists. On the ceiling the glass flower organically runs through the space and in the background two arches framed by the luminous colours of the vineyard, combined with wooden details, differentiate the wine cellar space. This small shop is now a strong point in the Chafariz square, fascinating by its manifestation as a representation of the best that the Island has to offer and that has always left the hands of its inhabitants, the embroidery, and the Madeira wine.