Ritz House

For the festive season, Studio Astolfi was commissioned by the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon to create a captivating art intervention in the hotel’s lobby—an installation titled Eyes Wide Open, designed to evoke the life unfolding behind Lisbon’s city windows.

Towering at approximately 2 metres tall and offering a full 360° experience, the piece resembles a residential building with 26 windows, 18 of which present miniature, theatrical scenes. Visitors are invited to peer in, discovering intimate vignettes—scenes that are at once cozy, unexpected, and full of narrative charm.
Joana Astolfi explains: “During Christmas, what I love most is walking through Lisbon and looking into windows—seeing decorated trees, warm lights, people gathered. It’s a time that makes me look up a lot and feel life behind the glass.”
A grand, suspended airplane installation hangs above the lobby’s skylight, carrying a miniature Christmas tree—symbolizing the city’s multicultural exchange and adding a layer of whimsical narrative to the experience.

Most of the objects in this installation were procured from Lisbon’s famed Dolls Hospital, where Astolfi often finds inspiration in miniature worlds. Many pieces were specially made and hand painted by Studio Astolfi’s artisans, ensuring that the entire project was built from the ground up with precision and craftsmanship.
In parallel, the studio designed a six-metre Christmas tree in the Almada Negreiros Lounge. Rather than traditional decorations, the tree was ornamented with everyday-life objects—meticulously painted in neutral hues—creating a playful reflection on voyeurism, discovery, and a hint of delightful nonsense.
The Eyes Wide Open, installation and the decorated tree were displayed through the holiday season, allowing guests and the public to experience the magic of holiday storytelling in a uniquely immersive setting until January 6, 2023.