ArchiTourAlgarve - Architecture Walking Tour Olhão: Monuments, Modernism & More

Architecture Olhão: Monuments, Modernism & More

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ArchiTourAlgarve - Architecture Walking Tour Olhão: Monuments, Modernism & More

Olhão, Faro 8700-379, Portugal

Created By: ArchiTourAlgarve

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Architecture Walking Tour Olhão: Monuments, Modernism & More

Monuments:

There are, in the municipality of Olhão, monuments and places that, due to their historical importance and unique architecture, stand out, due to the role they played in the construction of its past. Knowing them is knowing Olhão.

Modernism:

The modernism in Olhão - we are talking about the period from 1925 to 1965 - distinguishes itself from modernism in the Algarve by the influence in the history of the "cubist city”. This "cubist style" of white flat roofed houses with its little buildings on top can in Portugal only be found in Olhão.

You find them in the oldest neighborhoods Baretta and Levante, but also in the later neighborhood of Mundo Novo. The most important factors, that for a large part distinguishes the “Modernism of Olhão”, are the "cubist building tradition”, a highly expanding fish-canning industry since the end of the 19th century and the waves of returning emigrants from "the New World" with modern visions on contemporary constructions.

The well-known architects from the modernist tradition have only a limited presence in Olhão, but had a huge influence on local engineers and builders that can be noticed in its local building production. Well-known architects can be found as the designers of the low-cost housing projects such as Bairro de Pescadores, Bairro Economico and Horta da Cavalinha. At a number of residential buildings on the beginning of Horta da Cavalinha we also find some names of well-known architects. The anonymous or engineer-related "modernist building" can be found in various larger and smaller residential buildings along for example the Avenida de Republica or along other major access roads to the city.

Which architects belong to the pioneers of Modern Building in the Algarve? Architect Manuel Gomes da Costa was one of the three young architects from the Algarve who became affected with modernism at the University of Porto and introduced it to the Algarve. The architect Carlos Chambers Ramos - who was married to a woman from Olhão - was his professor at the University of Porto. It was also Carlos Ramos that designed Bairro Operário on the Rua Martins Garrocho (demolished) for his brother-in-law's canning company Lucas & Ventura in Olhão.

Manuel Gomes da Costa had a practice in Faro and was the most important and influential of the three young architects with around 400 projects during his professional career. The other two architects were Manuel Laginha, from Loulé and António Vicente de Castro from Portimão. Especially with Manuel Gomes da Costa, the admiration for the works and theories of LeCorbusier are noticeable, certainly in his study projects and initial works. In Olhao, a residential house and a storehouse belong to the projects of architect Manuel Gomes da Costa. The "Centro de Assistentie Social Polivalente" in Olhão is one of the brilliant projects from architect Manuel Laginha in a type of projects he also made for other cities in the Algarve and that he designed together with architect Rogerio Martins.

Text and photos partly taken from the Exhibition “O Modernismo em Olhão” from 06/12/2019 - 07-02-2020 at the Re-Creativa República in collaboration with ANAFA ASSOCIAÇÃO FOTOGRAFOS DO ALGARVE - TAVIRA
Curators: Isabel Macieira / Will Köhlen

Click here to see the video

& More:

This are the other buildings, not Monument or Modernist

Other Tours from ArchiTourAlgarve on the PocketSights App:

* Olhão - Cubist Architecture Walking Tour

* Faro - Pires & Brito Architecture Walking Tour

* Faro - Architectural walking Tour Ilha / Praia de Faro

* Tavira - Modernist & More Architecture Walking Tour

* Fuseta - Architecture Walking Tour

* Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) - Modernist & More Architecture Walking Tour

* Loulé - Modernist & More Architecture Walking Tour

* Huelva (Spain) - Architecture Walking Tour


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What You'll See on the Tour

The Municipal Markets of Olhão, one of the highlights of the city of Olhão, began to be built in 1912, being opened four years later. For almost a century, they have been one of Olhão's postcards and a must-visit place for tourists and r... Read more
The customs building of the Port of Olhão is one of the properties that documents the port's past and origins. The customs office was not established until 1842 and dates from the years immediately after the building's construction. With a... Read more
In 1997, this 'Instituto de Investigação das Pescas e do Mar' was installed here as a part of Centro Regional de Investigação Pesqueira do Sul. The building designed by architectural firm Opera Design Matters from Lisbon looks like a sc... Read more
Contemporary 20th century security architecture for public safety and control at sea, which is carried out by military forces (Navy). Project of the architect Paulo Cunha for the new building of the Captaincy of the Port of Olhão, commis... Read more
A contemporary, multi-family and commercial residential building with two floors and retail on the ground floor, resulting from the recent extension of a 1950s building. The original characteristic of a Portuguese architecture of the 1940s ... Read more
A contemporary art-deco multi-family home with two floors, as a result of an extension. The quality of the beautiful symmetrical facade is based on simple decorations consisting of horizontally applied bands on the platibandas with a vertic... Read more
Contemporary multi-family and commercial residential building with apartments on the first floor and commercial spaces on the ground floor. The architectural language of the building is characteristic of the architecture of the 1920s and 19... Read more
Industrial architecture. Slaughterhouse reused and requalified for archiving. 1938, March - the date of the project of the new Municipal Slaughterhouse of Olhão, written by architect Frederico Caetano de Carvalho of the DGEMN Southern Bu... Read more
Contemporary apartments and commercial spaces on the ground floor around the corner. A characteristic pattern of Portuguese 'Suave' architecture from the 1960s. Inclusion in the heritage context is often based on traditional stereotypical... Read more
In the center of the city of Olhão, in the Algarve, the Chapel of Senhora da Soledade (also called Little Church) has no specific date of construction, but is estimated at the beginning of the 17th century. The building suffered considera... Read more
Contemporary residential architecture. Housing on an elevated floor and retail on the ground floor, as a result of successive extensions of the existing homes. Platibanda with Art Deco references. ...
A contemporary single-family home with a shop on the ground floor. A characteristic example of the architecture of the post-war modern architecture movement in the Algarve. The themes such as geometry, varied surfaces, and surprising openi... Read more
The Museum is housed in the former Casa do Compromisso Marítimo, an architectural landmark of great importance for the city dating from the end of the 18th century and entirely built ' at the expense of the sailors of the Nobre Casa do Co... Read more
Contemporary apartment complex on two floors above commercial use on the ground floor after expansion and transformation of previous buildings. The architectural presentation of the building is characteristic of the modern formal language o... Read more
Construction of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário, the current Mother Church of Olhão, began in 1698 and was opened in 1715 (still unfinished). The contract for the construction of the tower dates from 1722. The facade reads: 'This ... Read more
Straight and minimalist residential building with commercial spaces on the Avenida da Republica no. 4-8 A building included in the SIPA (Information System for Architectural Heritage) of Olhão. A straight forward building and a tight struc... Read more
Building no.14 of Av. da República was built in the 19th century by a Spanish citizen of Olha, Pantoja Soares. Later, the Olhanense Recreativa (Recreativa Rica) was founded here, the first of the associations of its kind founded in Olhão.... Read more
Residential architecture from the nineteenth century. Housing on an elevated floor and shops and warehouses on the ground floor. The rear in particular impresses with its elegant three-tiered staircase structure and the slender mirant that ... Read more
Striking modernist building in the style of post-war architecture. Building with commercial space on the ground floor and apartments on the two floors above. Beautiful cut out balconies in a wide alternating framework, both at the head and... Read more
This building, designed by civil engineer J. Belchior, in one of the main access roads to Olhão, the Rua 18th Junho is a typical building produced by non-architects. It looks like a standard residential building with commercial spaces and ... Read more
A contemporary apartment block with commercial spaces on the ground floor and living on the first floor. Merging of two buildings into an urban block. Characteristic of a certain Portuguese architecture of the 1940s and 1950s, produced in p... Read more
Communication architecture from the 20th century. Post office with a characteristic characteristic of the post-war modern movement as a regional variant. In contrast to a building with a traditional 'platibanda', the architect has opted for... Read more
Bank building located in front of the Av. da República, the main road in the city, on the oldest stretch corresponding to the Passeio Público de Olhão.  Designed (1953) in accordance with the prevailing 'classical' architectural style ... Read more
A contemporary multi-family apartment complex in two floors and a commercial space with mezzanine on the ground floor. The architectural composition is characteristic of the modern movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Simple, functionall desig... Read more
On March 21, 2009, the Municipal Auditorium of Olhão was opened at noon by the Minister of Culture, Dr. José António Pinto Ribeiro. The doors were opened to the public for the performance of singer Teresa Salgueiro. This cultural equipme... Read more
Commercial architecture from the 20th century. The fish auction was intended for the transaction of bulk fish. The architectural composition that is characteristic of the mature period of the Modern Movement (after the war) is well reflecte... Read more
A contemporary and Art Deco working community with factories and warehouses. The composition of the facade on the street is based on the daily surprising and formal lexicon that is so characteristic of the architecture of the 1920s and 1930... Read more
Apartment block with four-storey single-family homes. The architectural quality consists of extremely simple elements that are characteristic for the lexicon from the architecture of the 1950s and 1960s. Here the slanting shapes of the bal... Read more
The desolate condition of the former 'Estalagem Caíque' on the Rua 18 de Junho needs no further explanation, even with the wrong intervention on the ground floor. It is waiting for a new destination as a hotel. Maybe then the ugly extensi... Read more
Surprising house with interesting details that clearly differ from the usual details of bigger homes in Olhão. The roof has partly a gable roof and partly a flat roof with platibanda and twisted concrete circles as an opening. A standin... Read more
The Gremio of the Fish Canning Industry has the characteristic composition of the public architecture in the Algarve in the 1930s and 1940s, combining locally inspired elements (patio, outdoor stairs, buttresses, chimneys) with conveying t... Read more
This building at the Avenida da Republica is a beautiful white symmetrical concrete structure that reminds us a bit of a cinema or garage. The balcony is pushed forward like a second skin and has cheeks with round perforations. The skin has... Read more
Casa de Poço, a contemporary Art Deco house (now A.L.) with two floors. The quality of the beautiful symmetrical facade is based on a large number of decorations consisting of horizontally applied bands on the front and the  platibanda w... Read more
This Courthouse from 1959 is designed by architect Raul Rodrigues Lima. As a 'state architect', he designed courthouses and other government buildings all over the country. His courthouses are usually characterized by monumentality and cla... Read more
After an initial attempt in 1870, efforts were resumed at the end of the 19th century to provide the Algarve with a railway network by continuing the Southern Railway, to improve transport within the region and to other parts of the country... Read more
Single-family residential architectural complex. Economic housing for state public promotion (FFH / Operation SAAL). Medium-sized complex, made up of single-family townhouses with one floor and two floors with a patio at the back, forming b... Read more
The Olhão Municipal Library opened to the public on June 16, 2008. This library, located in the city center, is the result of the adaptation of the building of the former Municipal Hospital, and the project was designed by architect Carlos... Read more
Contemporary, residential and commercial architecture. The living is on the first floor and the shop is on the ground floor. The architectural composition is characteristic of Portuguese architecture from the early 20th century in an eclec... Read more
Fire station, possibly a former cooperative wine cellar (Inquerito à Arquitectura do Século XX in Portugal), with an architectural composition that incorporates the formal languages that characterized the first applications in the 1930. ... Read more
Apartment block that is reminiscent of a building by Manuel Gomes da Costa. I cannot  find it in the books, but the specific details are quite correct. When MGdCosta version... than an early version, when he mainly worked in 'concrete'. ...
A contemporary, large (nine-storey) multi-family and commercial residential building whose architectural composition is characteristic of the current production of income housing in the 1960s.  Architect Manuel Gomes da Costa (or imitatio... Read more
Joao Matamouros is the designer of Vivenda Estalita/ Gabrita house (1960) on the corner of Rua da Olivenca and built for Mr. Cabrita - a custom police lieutenant - and his family. The house and its contemporary appearance created - together... Read more
The Matos house in the Rua de’O Algarve 22 is a residential home designed by architect Manuel Gomes da Costa for Dr Matos, the towns public health delegate. Renovated with some deviations from the original details. ...
Sad and abandoned this Twin Villa - a design by architect Armando Martins (from 1959-63) - stands waiting for a new life. Once built on the Rua de Olivencia as a residence for the magistrates at the new court of Olhão. They are in a misera... Read more
Surprisingly modernist apartment complex that stands out mainly because of its special and completely different front and backside facade. Brut concrete and ceramic mosaic at the front and a square 'brise soleil' with Caribbean motifs in co... Read more
This building on the Rua de Olivença is a real surprise. From the front side you don’t suspect the spatial quality and rhythmic of the facade, that you will experience when you approach the building from the other side of the block. Play... Read more
Surprisingly surviving house among the 'rough' urban development that has taken place here. The house was built in 1909 for the Arcanjo familie. Majestic double staircase at this elevated house, which probably used to have a workshop on... Read more
Chalé Baete built in 1928 on Avenida Dr. Bernardino da Silva, who shaped the urban development of Olhão during the growth of the canning industry, is one of the more beautiful buildings of Olhão with its particularly beautiful azulejos t... Read more
Civil architecture, new art. Single-family house, peri-urban, which combines Arte Nova elements (tiles of the cornice of the main facade) with other more eclectic elements, whose function expresses itself to the image of power and wealth th... Read more
In the year following the approval of the Vila de Olhão Urbanization Plan, the municipality aware of the problem of lack of housing in the village and taking advantage of the areas foreseen in the even for new economic neighborhoods, asked... Read more
Vivenda/chalé Vitoria, looks like a church building, but is nevertheless a vila in historical revival style from 1918, is located on the infamous N125.  The client of this Vivenda Vitoria was an Italian manufacturer who also had a canning... Read more
Due to the lack of housing felt throughout the country, a joint initiative by the State, through the office of the General Directorate of Urbanization Services, with the Junta Central das Casas dos Pescadores, for the construction of Neighb... Read more
The former 'Siroco' Hotel is currently a collection of buildings consisting of three (residential) blocks of multi-family homes. Inspired by examples of the 'Modern Movement'. In principle designed (the first two blocks) and built as 'Hote... Read more
Nowhere in Portugal (except in Fuzeta) the 'Cubist Architecture' is so dominantly represented in the cityscape as in Olhão. You should see the city in the last or beginning sunlight try to look from a higher place in order to be able to vi... Read more
Chalé João Lúcio is located in a pine forest called Pinheiros de Marim, next to the Olhão campsite. João Lúcio Pousão Pereira was born in Olhão in 1880 into a family of intellectuals. His poetry first appeared in print when he was ... Read more
Like a White Castle, this Centro de Interpretaçao do Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, together with the park headquarters, is located on a small hill hidden among the pine trees. The center offers information about nature in the Ria Formosa ... Read more
In other times, when energy sources were scarce and limited only to muscle power, wind and current, tidal mills had a major advantage over other forms of energy: their constancy and predictability. There are two daily tides that guarantee a... Read more
Workshop and offices for bus company EVA. Modernist concrete construction and shed roofs. The last photo is the backside. 
Modernist apartment building and 'Poruguese Suave' building at the corner of 18e de Junho & Rua Manuel Martins Garrocho. The Portuguese Suave building on Rua 18 de Junho 243A  is designed by architect  H. Carapato in 1949. ...
Multi-family homes. Government Promotion of Economic Housing (FFH / Operation SAAL). A large complex consisting of multi-family homes of two to four floors that form open blocks. Including public public facility (soccer field/playground) Th... Read more
Apartment block with all the features of architect Manuel Gomes da Costa (Faro). Composition with Brise-Soleils, color scheme and metal and glass patio fencing. Continuing concrete beams on balcony supports combined with consoles in a manne... Read more
The tent landscape at the top of the Ria Shopping shopping center still exists, but unfortunately it has lost its function as a 'food square'. As a cover for the food square, it had the appearance of a large circus tent with its masts, stee... Read more
Jardim dos Pequeninos is a contemporary modern chreche building with surprising facade and overlapping superstructure with protruding round colored 'skylights' with a colored oval concrete bay window in the side wall. ...
Chalé Saias or Villa. Saias once belonged to the Saias family has a symmetrical classical origin. In terms of architecture it reminds us of the villas of Palladio that he mostly designed for Italian landscapes. A big loss are the beautiful... Read more
On March 8, 1939, the Central Council of the DGEMN gave a positive advice on the approval of the project for a 'Shelter for the elderly in Olhão' by Eng. Leonel da Quina Ribeiro. This advice follows the previous rejection of the first vers... Read more
This beautiful building is designed by the architects Manuel Laginha and Rogerio Martins (from 1952-1958) as 'Centro de Assistência Social Polivalente' is mainly determined by the large building block facing the street, consisting of a f... Read more
Collection of Twin Homes, sometimes single, sometimes duplex. Collective housing project.
The '28 de Setembro Neighborhood' appears through Decree-Law no. 34,486, which proposed the construction of 5000 houses for poor families across the country. The homes were intended for the population who did not have access to 'Economic H... Read more
  In 1935, architect Eugénio Correia designed a neighborhood of affordable houses for the town of Olhão, in the General Directorate of Buildings and National Monuments in Lisbon, which would be the first to emerge from a state initiative... Read more
Offer yourTour guide a cup of coffee through this donation link:  For information about a personal Tour: architouralgarve@gmail.com Photo 2. Exhibition poster:: “O Modernismo em Olhão” from 06/12/2019 - 07-02-2020 at the Re-Creativa R... Read more

 

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