The program is distributed on two floors: on the ground floor lies the atrium, reception area, auditorium, bar and staff facilities (archives, reserves room, conference room, offices facing the garden), and on the first floor is the reading room, separated into children’s and adult sections, and copy room. Public access to the Library is situated at the space defined by the central opening in the raised volume of the reading room. Staff access is separated from the public atrium and is planned as the enclosed service space at the eastern end of the complex.

The proposed architectural expression is mainly the outcome of the following options: elevation of the largest volume of the Library, which is supported at the eastern and western extremes by two L-shaped pillars and by the ground-floor volume respectively, ensuring visibility of the river across a great span of the building; orthogonality in plan and elevation; prevalence of long horizontal openings, complemented by skylights in the reading room; exposed white concrete on the exterior surface and stone-cladding for the base of the building; solar protection or appropriate orientation of the window openings; volumetric definition based on a dialogue between landscape and built form.

Text provided by the architect.

Seven typical houses, sensitively restored over the past 30 years with a local heritage architect, already form the renewed core of Monte da Charneca, a farming hamlet that like many others in the region fell into abandonment and ruin. In addition to encompassing the seven houses, the 7-hectare Center (17.3 acres) has its own water supply, is energy self-sufficient through solar power, and maintains an orchard with citrus, almond, fig, and olive trees. The next phase of development will add a handful of new residential structures in a consistent architectural style, along with facilities to help revitalize traditional agricultural activity and welcome visitors. Together with the Siza chapel, these elements will make the Monte da Charneca Center a destination for spiritual retreats, conferences, eco- and agro-tourism, and rural holidays, only 10-20 minutes from the beaches and historic sites of the Algarve coast.

In 2016, Álvaro Siza accepted the commission to design the Capela do Monte as the focal point of the Center, at the highest point on the property. Siza has spoken about the beauty of the site, his desire to create a design in the Algarve where he has never before realized a building, and his pleasure at being asked for what he calls “a pure architectural project.” The beige-colored Capela do Monte can be reached only by way of a foot path. The one-story structure, with a footprint of 10.34 x 6.34 meters (34 x 21 feet), is built without electricity, heat or running water, relying on natural ventilation and materials (insulated brick, limestone and tiles) to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Siza has designed the chapel’s cross, altar, bench and chairs, all produced by the Oporto-based carpenters Serafim Pereira Simões Sucessores, and has made drawings for murals depicting scenes from the life of Jesus, realized in tile by the Portuguese company Viúva Lamego. A churchyard (or adro) of roughly the same size as the building extends the chapel to the west.

Text provided by the architect.

Even the organization of the plan is developed with regard to the site and function. The kitchen and service spaces are partially sunk in the rocks, and the dining room and tea house, joined by an atrium, are oriented toward the view. The dining room opens up to a large outdoor surface, separated from it by a layer of glass that slides into the ground, eliminating the barriers between interior and exterior, with the help of the eaves that extend the ceiling outwards.

The architectural promenade continues from the dining room, so one can directly access the ocean while the small building slowly disappears into the landscape. The tea room benefits from large windows atop a visible concrete base. In this case, the interior space imposes the feeling of sitting between the rocks and observing the view from a distance, creating an almost spiritual experience.

A number of materials are present in the project, from concrete structural elements to wooden furniture and red brick tiles.  Most interior surfaces are covered in wood, the paths covered in light stone, and concrete used for structure, sometimes painted white to contrast with the surrounding.

The Tea House is essentially a conversation between nature and people that strengthens the dialogue through space, experience, and materiality. The project is embraced by the breathtaking setting, never overpowering it while always maintaining a slight contrast.