Crismina Fort Refurbishment by barbiniarquitectos Restores 18th-Century Coastal Defense in Cascais

The Crismina fort, one of three 18th-century forts in the old coastal defense line of Cascais, Portugal, has been refurbished by the architecture firm barbiniarquitectos. The project, completed in 2021, covers 1,400 m² and was led by architects Flavio Barbini and Maria João Barbini. The fort was originally built following the conflict between Portugal and Spain. Its structure is primarily an empty space enclosed by walls that have suffered deterioration from wind erosion and other atmospheric phenomena. These walls vary in height and thickness, forming an irregular polygon. The refurbishment involved a multidisciplinary team: Tiago Silva Brandão, Fábio Neves, Catarina Telo Gonçalves, and Paulo Guerreiro as collaborators; Luís Gião Marques of LNM for structural engineering; Fernando Aires of GPIC for electrical and telecommunications; Filipe Furtado for plumbing; Jorge Rocha of SOPSEC for gas; Manuel Madureira of NZEBS for mechanical systems; Rui Rodrigues of SOPSEC for acoustics; Paulo Prata Ramos of ETU for fire protection; João Ceregeiro for landscape architecture; and Joana Forjaz for lighting design. The client and construction were handled by Imonomio. Photographs were taken by Fernando Guerra of FG+SG. The project was curated by Susanna Moreira and published on ArchDaily. The restoration preserves a significant piece of Portugal's coastal military heritage, adapting the historic fort while maintaining its original irregular polygonal layout and weathered character.