Santo Tirso, Portugal
Part of the intervention of this project, located in Santo Tirso, two zones, A and B, consisting of new and recovery works, respectively, and whose co-authorship belongs to the architects Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto Moura.
Of note is the absence of surrounding space, and therefore the great difficulty in carrying out the work. On the one hand, the great confinement by the surrounding buildings (the Convent, the Chapel, the Agrarian School and the street, all in operation); on the other, the strong programmatic requirement imposed on architects.
These difficulties resulted in the realization of some special restraints, as the excavations are over 8 meters …; in the repression of some existing foundations due to the proximity of buried areas adjacent to the existing convent (17th century but its origin dates back to the 11th century), etc …
There is a strong link between the spatial and typological definition and the constructive solution used, translating into a perfect rationality that can somehow induce a perfect anticipated awareness of the difficulties inherent in its execution. The choice of constructive solutions and efficient materials, properly adjusted to the type of intervention proposed, is also reflected by the relatively quick execution of the works (in the face of existing adversities), managing to respect the pre-existing and at the same time adapt the buildings to their new functions.
