restoring the new

Ílhavo City Library is located in the remains of the Manor Visconde de Almeida, a noble house from the 17th-18th century, later transformed and demolished. From the original building only the main façade, oriented southeast, and the chapel, both in ruins, were left. However, all elements remaining from the old construction were examples of qualified architecture, in their proportion and elegance of the masonry. Due to this, it would be a shame not to leave this legacy and it should be preserved and integrated in the new project. ARX have chosen to design the library but and clarify as well as consolidate the urban fragments and volumes of the space.

The project includes the remaining manor which forms the library, chapel and youth forum. The Architects have used the old façade as a reference point, where administrative areas and programmes compatible with the façade’s rhythm were placed, restoring the character of the original building. Meanwhile, the youth forum establishes direct morphological relations with the surroundings and the chapel, deprived of its important decorative elements is restored. Pedro Calapez made contemporary new furniture and altar panels for the chapel.