The Preliminary Studies for the redevelopment projects of Largo de São Marcos, Largo do Mercado, and Estrada da Califórnia, in the parish of Gaeiras, municipality of Óbidos, were publicly presented in October 2023, during the celebrations of the parish’s 38th anniversary.

The three projects, developed by AKURA Arquitetos, represent an integrated intervention in the town center, aiming to requalify public spaces, enhance existing urban heritage, and strengthen the relationship between built space, landscape, and community.

The proposals focus on creating new dynamics of use and permanence, reintroducing public space as an element of conviviality and local identity. The intervention in Largo de São Marcos proposes the reorganization of parking and the improvement of the surrounding area, while Largo do Mercado will be transformed into an open square with Portuguese cobblestone and limestone paving, rehabilitating the old market stalls and integrating two new functional modules—a café/bakery and a stage reinterpreted in a contemporary style.

The Estrada da Califórnia project takes on a landscape and educational aspect, envisioning the creation of a pedestrian and interpretive route through the vineyards and the surrounding area, connecting the urban center to the rural environment.

The three interventions, with a total investment of over 2.5 million euros, are part of the urban regeneration strategies of the municipality of Óbidos and reinforce Gaeiras’ role as an expanding residential and cultural center.

AKURA’s work in these preliminary studies reflects the pursuit of a human-scale public architecture that combines technical rigor, contextual understanding, and formal simplicity, contributing to the enhancement of collective space and the future of the village of Gaeiras.