To think of a movie theater that has disappeared in time is to dive into a narrative of nostalgia and melancholy, where each structural element tells a silent story from the past. The Cine-Teatro da Portela | Cinema Sintra, which dates back to the 1940s and has been vacant since the 1990s, was once a stage for laughter, tears and magical moments. Today, it evokes a distant echo of the life that once pulsed there, and in this physical emptiness resonate the echoes of iconic films that transported audiences beyond the screen, opening up the vistas of the imagination. Much has been speculated about the foundations of what might have been, and gradually the building became a spectre in the urban landscape, arousing the curiosity of architects and dreamers who envisioned its resurrection as a revitalized space, adapted to modern times without losing the nostalgic aura that defines it.

This project to renovate and enhance the Sintra Cinema won the public competition promoted by Sintra Town Council and reflects our commitment to preserving heritage and creating innovative cultural spaces. It can be summed up in three fundamental gestures: identity, organization and public space; and aims to be an urban epicentre, an inclusive 'living machine' that celebrates the cultural and social life expected in a contemporary community. We have preserved the essence of the original modernist Estado Novo building and adapted it to contemporary requirements, keeping in mind the urgency and duty to promote a broad understanding of our heritage.

The new building is reborn based on cinematic nostalgia and the city's collective memory. We highlight the new room on the roof, whose shape evolves from a semi-circular window to a rectangular window on the rear façade, adjusting to complement the relationship with the surroundings without detracting from the strength of the intended object. Metaphorically, the semicircle represents a gesture of inclusion and welcome, symbolizing a continuous flow of ideas and experiences within the built space, which suggests the convergence of the building's past memories and those to come. It is also our tribute to the aesthetic principles of modernist architecture.