Pritzker Prize Winner Eduardo Souto de Moura Transforms Historic Estate into 5-Star Hotel

São Lourenço do Barrocal, a 5-star hotel in Portugal's Alentejo region, has been redesigned by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. The project, which took over six years to complete, rehabilitates a 780-hectare agricultural estate that dates back to 1820. The hotel features 40 rooms across seven original buildings, a spa, gym, bar, restaurant, and a shop selling local products. Souto de Moura preserved the estate's original morphology, reusing 250,000 locally sourced tiles and 350,000 handmade clay pieces for flooring. The design integrates natural elements such as the 'barrocais'—large granite boulders that give the property its name—and includes a pool adapted to the rocks' geometry. Interior design by AnahoryAlmeida focuses on natural materials like lime mortar and wood, avoiding technological gadgets to encourage digital detox. Landscape architect João Gomes da Silva maintained the agricultural character, preserving 75 hectares of vineyards and olive groves. The hotel's restaurant, Hortelão, offers farm-to-table cuisine using organic produce from the estate. The property was nationalized in 1975 after the Carnation Revolution but was later returned to the Papança family, and José António Uva, an eighth-generation member, spearheaded its revival.