PMT was responsible for coordinating a project with special requirements in the restoration and enhancement of Colares Castle and Pillory, integrating historic buildings and archaeological heritage of high cultural interest. The project included the Paço D. Diniz Mello Castro, the Colares Primary School, and the Colares Castle itself, classified as assets with high heritage value and archaeological sensitivity.

Challenges of the intervention

The complex showed significant structural deterioration and fractures, leaks, degraded roofing, biological attacks, and elements at risk of ruin. The lack of use, lack of accessibility, and decharacterization of the public space made an integrated approach essential to ensure stability, heritage conservation, and urban regeneration.

Project objectives

The project focused on three main areas:

➡ Enhancement of municipal heritage: restoration of the old town hall and overall preservation of the complex, reinforcing the architectural legibility and coherence between the historic buildings, contributing to effective urban regeneration.

➡ Functional rehabilitation of buildings: adaptation of the old Primary School into a cafeteria and support space, with universal accessibility and flexibility for exhibitions and cultural and educational activities, ensuring contemporary conditions of use that guarantee future sustainability.

➡ Heritage conservation: maintaining the authenticity of the construction, using materials and techniques compatible with existing systems, adopting a logic of minimal intervention, limited to what is strictly necessary to ensure the stability, functionality, and enhancement of the complex. Whenever new elements are introduced, they are designed according to principles of reversibility, allowing a clear distinction between what is pre-existing and what corresponds to contemporary intervention.

Architectural solutions

With regard to the enhancement of the Old Palace, the proposal provides for the enhancement of the monumental arcades by reopening the currently boarded-up spans, creating accessible platforms that function as spaces for contemplation and exhibition. The routes are secured by raised metal walkways on a grid, designed to be reversible and without interfering with the existing structures, while allowing observation of the archaeological excavations and an evolutionary reading of the building. From the corridor of the Casa da Água, an outdoor gallery path surrounds the building, allowing the observation of relevant construction elements, such as frescoes and enlargement marks, while also integrating exhibition spaces that support an interpretive circuit on the history of the site.

On the upper level, access to the balcony is provided by the existing staircase and a new metal staircase located in the courtyard of the old school, positioned in such a way as to respect the historic structure and restore the previous access layout. This space will be enhanced as an area for relaxation and contemplation of the landscape, with plans to reversibly reconstruct the existing pergola by placing wooden elements on the current pillars, creating a shaded area that enhances public enjoyment of the complex.

The intervention in the former Primary School is essentially aimed at its conservation and adaptation to its new use as a cafeteria, with only the changes necessary for the functioning of this program being planned. It is proposed to enlarge the main space by removing interior partitions, completely replacing the ceiling due to its advanced state of deterioration, and reorganizing the space functionally with the creation of a counter, direct connection to the kitchen, and storage areas. The main existing accesses will be maintained, with the introduction of a new door with a lifting platform to ensure universal accessibility and a better connection to the patio.

At the same time, the service areas and sanitary facilities will be reorganized, relocated, and redesigned in accordance with technical and accessibility requirements, while also freeing up and enhancing the old palace and access to the arcades. In the outdoor area, ramps will be created between levels, paths will be reorganized, and new, preferably permeable paving will be introduced, reflecting the presence of identified archaeological structures, contributing to the historical interpretation and integrated enjoyment of the complex.

The old Teacher's House will undergo essentially conservative intervention, focused on maintaining its architectural characteristics and updating its infrastructure, particularly in terms of electrical networks, in order to allow for multipurpose use. The building will be used for exhibition, cultural, and educational purposes, and will be able to host permanent or temporary exhibitions in its three rooms, distributed between the ground floor and the upper floor.

In order to ensure universal accessibility, a platform or lift chair will be installed on the staircase leading to the upper floor, allowing access for people with reduced mobility without significantly altering the existing structures.

In terms of technical specialties, the project involved reinforcing masonry and wooden structures, constructing metal structures, and reviewing drainage systems, ensuring technical quality and heritage conservation throughout the entire intervention.

With this project, PMT contributes to the preservation of Colares' historical heritage, ensuring that the Castle, the Pillory, and adjacent buildings are sustainably integrated into the urban space, providing continuous, accessible, and culturally relevant public use.