Convento Das Bernardas is a house designed by Eduardo Souto de Moura. The Patrimony is not a special type of project, it only needs an extra 20% of fees, as the framework is already there. It does not need “intensive care”, it only needs other types of care, as each situation is a situation, which means a house.
photography by © Luis Ferreira Alves
This is not a problem for political parties, as they all seem to say the same, from left to right wing: “To defend the Patrimony …, defend the Patrimony …”. Nor it is a source for expenditure, a nuisance, an obstacle because if it were, it surely would not be Patrimony.
The Bernardas Convent was a Monastery, a Factory, and now is an available ruin. Usually, these “stones” are associated with programs like hostels, hotels, museums, cultural centers …; but there is not enough culture for so many available objects. This time it was made differently …, and why not make houses?
photography by © Luis Ferreira Alves
Project Info:
Architects: Eduardo Souto de Moura
Location: Tavira, Portugal
Area: 8,164 m2
Project Year: 2012
Photographs: Luis Ferreira Alves
Project Name: Convento Das Bernardas
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial