The southern entrance to São Brás de Alportel will be refurbished and given a new lease of life, involving the creation of a new leisure and social area and the restoration of the old Louro Cork Factory.
With a municipal investment of approximately €761,000 the work carried out by Martins Gago & Filhos, Lda. is expected to take approximately nine months.
In this first phase of the construction of the square adjacent to Rua João Rosa Beatriz, the Municipality intends to “safeguard and enhance the material and immaterial heritage associated with the Cork Factory, the central space of this intervention”.
The ongoing works also aim to “create new leisure and social areas for the community, a geriatric park and a children's park, as well as relocating the bus stop that will provide greater comfort and safety for users”, says the Municipality of São Brás de Alportel in a statement.
The project also includes “an intervention dedicated to the creation of green spaces, using mostly native and low-maintenance trees and plants, which aim to beautify the space with color, texture and shade”.
The new square will also have a support space to boost the local economy and support visitors.
Later, a second phase of the intervention will take place, which aims to “redesign the parking lot in the existing park in the block, with the aim of increasing the number of spaces available”.
Founded in 1890 by João Viegas Louro, the factory later became known as Fábrica Gualdino Louro, named after his son, and operated until the 1960s. It is currently one of the architectural elements in the town of São Brás de Alportel related to the cork industry, which enjoyed a period of prosperity in the municipality in the mid-19th century and contributed greatly to the development of the municipality.
Although it has suffered the ravages of time and its lack of use, the building still retains its aesthetic beauty, given by a set of three arches, the openings and the boiler flanked by the chimney. From the cork transformation system, there is still a well and a waterwheel, which once supplied the factory boiler through small channels.
Photos by SBA Camara - Source https://postal.pt/
