Renovation of the Leça do Balio Monastery

The Leça do Balio Monastery, an emblematic historical monument of Portugal, has been increasingly recognized as a key part of the Camino de Santiago, recently incorporated in the “Caminho da Arte” project. This initiative focuses on preserving the cultural heritage and integrating the rich artistic legacy of the region with the traditions linked to the famous pilgrimage route.

The Monastery House, renovated mid-20th century as the residence of engineer Ezequiel de Campos, contains medieval elements from various origins with characteristics reflecting authenticity connected to what has been preserved, personal taste, and the enjoyment of living within it. The current intervention aims to preserve this genuine "flavour" and atmosphere.

The requalification project intends to transform the house into a multifunctional cultural, artistic, architectural, and landscape space called Monasterium, acting as a versatile community hub connected to the pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. Low-quality added structural and cladding elements will be demolished to ensure the structural and spatial integrity of the building, with careful restoration of doors, windows, wooden floors and structures, while maintaining the predominant granite stone.

The architectural ensemble defines a U-shaped patio bounded to the west by a granite wall. The three building cores limiting the patio are articulated to deliver the proposed program, facilitating a visit path through the garden and chapel, the latter already designed and approved.