DE LA ESPADA VOLUME IV 21
THE SETTING
Our residency took place at Apartment NANA de-
signed by rar.studio, an architectural practice
founded by Rita Aguiar Rodrigues. Located on the
first floor of a 19th century building in Lisbon,
the apartment features expansive rooms with high
ceilings and large windows, offering a feeling of
great spaciousness and an abundance of natural
light and fresh air. The design preserves select
historic finishings and decorative features, in-
cluding the original 19th century tiles in the
kitchen, and honours and interprets the Lisbon
architecture of the time while modernising sensi-
tively to bring the design into the present. The
apartment’s openness and flow between the rooms
allowed the dramatic performance Let’s Pretend
This Never Happened to unfold across the full
space, encouraging movement and exploration. An
excellent setting for an imagined De La Espada
home, the design reflects a shared passion for
robust materials, skilled craft, and understated,
comfortable living where luxury is in the details.
