Southern entrance of São Brás de Alportel undergoing a €760,000 revamp
São Brás de Alportel’s southern entrance is undergoing a major transformation, headlined by the transformation of a former cork factory into a new open-air museum.
The revitalisation of the former ‘Fábrica de Cortiça Louro’ (Louro Cork Factory), an iconic site in the town’s history, will pay tribute to the local cork industry that played a pivotal role in the area’s development. This project will also honour João Rosa Beatriz, the factory’s founder whose work helped elevate São Brás de Alportel from a parish to its own municipality.
The entire renovation project will cost the municipal coffers around €760,000. The first phase of construction, which begins near the former bus terminal at Parque da Vila, will take around nine months. The project is being carried out by the construction company Martins Gago & Filhos, Lda. and will create new recreational areas, including parks for both seniors and children, and a redesigned bus stop for improved safety and convenience.
In addition to these community spaces, the new plaza will be brought to life with vibrant and colourful green spaces, featuring “low maintenance” native trees and plants. Meanwhile, an economic support hub will also be created to boost local business and aid visitors.
The second phase of the works will include the reorganisation of parking in the area, with the goal of increasing the number of spaces available.
The main focus of the project, however, is to preserve a building which holds great cultural and historical significance. Built in 1890 by João Viegas Louro, and later renamed after his son as ‘Fábrica Gualdino Louro’, the factory operated until the 1960s and remains an architectural symbol of the town’s cork production heritage. Though time has taken its toll on the building, it still showcases unique design elements, such as three arches, its boiler and chimney, and historical features like the well and noria.
