Fisherman’s House In Cadaqués / Bea Portabella + Jordi Pagès

Architects: Bea Portabella + Jordi Pagès
Area: 326 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: David Zarzoso
Manufacturers: Carl Hansen and Son, Gud Estudi, Heerenhuis Manufactuur, Santa and Cole, TRENAT, The Corner Studio, VitrA
Builder: Construcciones Llach
City: Cadaqués
Country: Spain

Fisherman’s House in Cadaqués, designed by Bea Portabella and Jordi Pagès, is a meticulous rehabilitation of a century-old dwelling that once served local seafarers. The 326-square-meter residence, spread across four levels, combines the authenticity of traditional Catalan architecture with the functionality of a modern home. Structural consolidation and careful restoration of original materials were paired with a spatial reconfiguration that opens the house to light and air. A new patio, restored vaults, and subtle openings in the stone walls connect interior spaces and promote natural ventilation. Materially, the home embraces lime-plastered walls, reclaimed ceramics, and iroko wood carpentry to balance vernacular textures with contemporary refinement. The project honors Cadaqués’ coastal heritage while introducing a calm, luminous domestic atmosphere rooted in both memory and renewal.

Fisherman’s house in cadaqués / bea portabella + jordi pagès

In the old quarter of Cadaqués, a town defined by its steep streets and whitewashed walls, a historic fisherman’s house has been reborn through the sensitive intervention of Bea Portabella and Jordi Pagès. More than a renovation, the project represents an act of architectural archaeology, uncovering the traces of past lives embedded in the structure while adapting it to the rhythms of modern habitation. Over the decades, the building had shifted roles—from private home to hostel and even a Civil Guard barracks—each layer contributing to its complex identity.

The architects approached the project with a commitment to preservation balanced by precision. The original stone walls, nearly half a meter thick, had endured a century of coastal weathering. These walls, together with the Catalan vault on the ground floor and wooden beam ceilings above, provided a foundation of authenticity that guided every design decision. Restoring these structural and tactile elements became a central act of respect toward the building’s origins and its relationship with the town’s vernacular heritage.

Once structurally consolidated, the architects reimagined the interior as a vertical sequence of interconnected spaces. The ground floor, traditionally utilitarian, retains its vaulted ceiling and direct contact with the rock base, becoming a flexible zone for play, storage, or nautical use. The introduction of a small inner patio—carved from the original stone mass—transforms what was once a dark cellar into a light-filled, breathable room that enhances the home’s microclimate and spatial depth.

The first floor houses the social core of the residence. Here, the architects opened strategic apertures in the load-bearing walls to establish new visual relationships between the kitchen, dining, and living areas. These modifications allow sunlight to circulate freely, creating a dialogue between interior and exterior. A generous opening facing the patio extends the living area outward, generating a fluid continuity of movement and perception that evokes the openness of coastal life.

The second floor is dedicated to privacy and rest. Bedrooms and bathrooms are arranged to maximize intimacy and comfort, their subdued tones reinforcing a sense of calm. Above, the third floor culminates in a terrace that opens toward the Mediterranean, a contemplative space where the rhythm of the sea defines the home’s final gesture. This ascending organization—from stone and vault to sky and view—creates a narrative of lightness, a physical and emotional journey through the house.

Materiality plays a pivotal role in uniting the old and the new. The architects reintroduced original ceramic flooring and lime plaster finishes, ensuring that the walls remain breathable in the region’s humid climate. Iroko wood, used for custom furniture and carpentry, adds warmth and precision, contrasting yet complementing the whiteness of the plaster. The selection of contemporary furnishings from Carl Hansen and Son, Heerenhuis Manufactuur, and other European studios situates the project firmly in the present without erasing its sense of place.

Every intervention was measured, avoiding aesthetic excess in favor of quiet continuity. The architects resisted the temptation of spectacle, choosing instead to express craftsmanship, proportion, and material authenticity. The light that filters through the newly opened walls does not merely illuminate but animates the textures of stone and wood, bringing the architecture to life through subtle contrasts.

Fisherman’s House in Cadaqués stands as a reflection on time and transformation. By weaving the memory of local construction traditions with contemporary sensibilities, Bea Portabella and Jordi Pagès have crafted a residence that reconciles endurance with renewal. The project embodies a Mediterranean ethos of restraint and luminosity, turning a historic dwelling into a timeless expression of architectural continuity.