Hotel in Alentejo, Portugal, is awarded at the 2018 Venice Biennale

Located in the center-south of Portugal, Alentejo is the largest region in the country. With a topography made up of hills and a mild climate, it was the stage for numerous works of Portuguese literature (such as Viagens em Minha Terra by Almeida Garret and O Primo Basílio, by Eça de Querioz).

Searching for relationships between architecture, time and place, Souto created the hotel amidst the vineyards and centuries-old olive trees of a farm in Herdade de São Lourenço do Barrocal, on the outskirts of Monsaraz, belonging to the same family for two centuries. The central concept was to value popular knowledge and legacy, through the preservation of materials and methods.

In addition to Souto's work, Adega Mayor stands out in Agreste, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, also winner of the Prtizker. The wine cellar is a landmark in Portugal for being the first designed by an architect, as a work of art, with exclusive furniture and lighting.