Old distillery to holiday house
Adega do Fogo is a new luxury holiday home on Pico Island which is a restored former distillery. Given a new lease of life by the project’s creator, Benedita Branco, of Diogo Mega Architects, it has 6 rooms, a dining room, a pool with an incredible view of Portugal’s highest peak and is located in the area of Cabrito, in the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture – Azores, a UNESCO classified site since 2004.
The distillery’s origins are still shrouded in mystery, according to the former owners, what is known is that it was built by a priest around 1820. The decorative elements invite you to contemplate and to travel in time with customised furniture made of chestnut wood. The restored ceiling beams, stone window surrounds and wooden floor give the space unique characteristics that revive its legacy. The white walls with their black stone indents from the original building are reminders of its DNA and the history of the old distillery – and the place to which it belongs.
Externally, the aim was the same. Different areas have been designed for different moments to allow the property to be enjoyed at different times of the day: from the pool with a view of Pico to the table under the trees beside the wood-fired oven and the lounge area under the roofing at the side of the kitchen with a view of the gardens and fig trees growing between volcanic rocks.
The furniture in the various outdoor areas is also simple. Made of wood, the emphasis is placed on comfort and the view they provide. Everywhere there are plants brought back to life by Silvina Maria, Branco’s mother, who saved them from various places on the island where they were at risk and gave them a new home.
