São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel, Monsaraz Building, Portuguese Accommodation, Architecture Photos

São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel in Monsaraz

Portuguese Vacation Development in Portugal design by Eduardo Souto de Moura Architects

6 Aug 2019

Architect: Eduardo Souto de Moura

Photography © Nelson Garrido

Location: Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal

São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel Accommodation

São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel

In conversation with Eduardo Souto de Moura
“The ﬁrst thing that struck me as soon as I arrived was the ambience of this property, which is hard to ﬁnd. Everyone knows that Alentejo is very beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting to have a prehistoric heritage like this.

Then there were two other factors that were also a surprise where views were concerned. What is unusual in Alentejo is to have water on the edge of the property – the famous Alqueva Dam and the views of Monsaraz which is lovely from the outside in. The second question was the urban nature of this monte. This is not just a house. This is truly a mini-universe, a village. It has its own hierarchy: a street, a square, outbuildings, cloisters. This is what we rarely ﬁnd in such good condition.

I see things not for their value as such but always from the point of view of how to handle them. That is, what should I do here? Everyone knows that each historic development is unique and Barrocal is a difﬁcult but very interesting project because we are working on the razor’s edge. If we go too far, we’ll spoil it, and if we don’t do enough it won’t work.

The main question here is starting from a position that is theoretically very interesting but actually very dangerous in practice – but it’s the only way. The only way to preserve heritage is to live with it and use it, even if it is damaged in some places. Because only everyday life transforms it into something natural and gives it heritage status.

What’s fascinating here is the change in usage. A building might be created for a particular purpose, and then evolve to meet different, contemporary needs. There is a process that is very absorbing ﬁnding out how an olive press, for example, can become a place for a living room with a bar, how agricultural outbuildings can be made into houses, and how a cowshed can be made into a restaurant. This change in use needs hardly any intervention at all. The challenge is how architecture will responde.

I think that people’s ﬁrst impression will be that they feel at home here, even if they have come just to relax. One is going to read, another is going to write a thesis, another is here for a holiday. People will run into each other and they will go off to buy bread or the paper or they will go out for dinner.

They will run into each other and after a few days there will be a connection. I think it is important to form a kind of community. But a ﬂeeting community, because that’s the way it’s designed. Except that the people will have changed. It won’t be the workers anymore, it will be these people drawn from far beyond the monte.”

São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel in Monsaraz – Building Information

Architect: Eduardo Souto de Moura
Interior Design Studio: AnahoryAlmeida
Landscape Architect: João Gomes da Silva
Project Engineering: Afaconsult

Project’s inception: 2002
Architectural project development: 2008-2016
Construction work completion: 2016

Location: Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal
Estate’s foundation: 1820
Farming village (Monte) establishment: 19th century
Estate’s area: 780 hectares
Construction gross area: 13.524,5 sqm
Site plan area: 13.019 sqm
Farming village (Monte) total area: 37.175 sqm

Farming village description: The Monte has a core characterized by 7 buildings implanted along a central street, which deﬁnes two main sets (North and South). The North complex, with an area of 4.144 sqm, consists of 2 buildings: the old industrial and ofﬁcinal building and the storehouse for the farming tools.

The South complex consists of 5 buildings: the main house, the agricultural pavilions, the dovecot, the kennel and the pigsty, with an area of 3.810 sqm. Further south, the vegetable garden area comprises 20.333 sqm, including the old vegetable garden keeper’s house, with an area of 34 sqm, and the outdoor pool that keeps a ﬁrm hold of a granite outcrop (barrocal).

Accommodation & amenities Accommodation units (22 Rooms, 2 Suites, 16 Cottages): 42.729 sqm Spa and studio: 575 sqm Restaurant with outoor terraces: 599,5 sqm Bar: 102 sqm Winery: 521 sqm Shop with courtyard: 194,50 sqm Horse stables and riding ring: 1.060 sqm Outdoor adult’s pool: 240 sqm Children’s pool: 21,50 sqm Children’s playroom with courtyard: 153 sqm
Client: São Lourenço do Barrocal Website: www.barrocal.pt

Photography: Nelson Garrido

São Lourenço do Barrocal Hotel in Monsaraz images / information received from Eduardo Souto de Moura Architects

Location: Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal, western Europe

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