Articles Recognitions

A hotel where the architecture springs from the landscape

The Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & Spa, designed by architect José Charrua, was an inaugural project in the way tourism is done in Comporta. With sustainable concerns, the development has been gradually built in harmony with the unique landscape of pine trees, dunes, and rice fields. In 2019, the intention arose to create a new development with a distinct yet analogous concept, and Fragmentos was invited to develop this new Sublime in partnership with José Charrua. It was absolutely fundamental for the client to maintain environmental concerns, ensuring the program adapted to and fit the territory rather than the other way around, with nature preceding the design. Respecting the morphology, a main hub was designed to house the various common areas — restaurants, bars, spa, pools, and sports facilities — marking the arrival point. From this center, wooden pathways distribute the accommodation units throughout the site. The architectural language translates and interprets the surroundings, with the volumes taking the form of cabins clad in wood and glass, with zinc roofs. Inside, the villas are designed not just as resting spaces but as true refuges where residents can reconnect with themselves and the environment. Scattered among natural elements, the villas create a visual impression of reduced impact, allowing the landscape to prevail over the built areas. The integration of the volumes into the landscape and the preservation of the local identity is the guiding principle of the entire project.

We spoke with the client, Gonçalo Pessoa, and the architects Fernando Flora (in-house) and José Charrua, who shared some details about this project.

 

The Sublime Comporta Villas can be seen as an extension of the iconic Comporta Country Retreat & Spa. How does one transition from one project to the other?

The Sublime Comporta opened its doors in 2014 as a very small project: a country house with 12 rooms. The first years went well, and in 2016, we decided to take a leap, requalifying the project as a hotel-apartment. We went from 14 rooms to over 40, and shortly after, to 60. In 2019, the project stabilized with a total of 23 inventory rooms and 22 houses. Then came the opportunity to expand by acquiring an adjacent plot of land. On this second plot, we are implementing not only 43 more accommodation units but also a set of other amenities that we didn't have in the original Sublime, including an event building. We don't want to tell the world that we have two hotels. What we will say is that Sublime has grown, adding a range of amenities. (Gonçalo Pessoa)

We know that Comporta was love at first sight for you, Gonçalo. Did your passion for this location, with its unique landscape and cultural characteristics, lead to a greater concern for respecting it?

Absolutely. The beauty here, the magnificence, is nature. Nature rules, and it was very clear to me that the architecture had to respect and be perfectly integrated with nature. This was the premise we presented, first to José Alberto Charrua and later to Fragmentos, to follow that line of continuity from what already existed in the original Sublime, with profound respect for nature. Architecture must have a sense of place and respect the tradition of Comporta, which, although sparse, is very much related to the huts and the forms people imagine when they think of something iconic about Comporta. (Gonçalo Pessoa)

As the creator of the original Sublime project, do you feel like a guardian of the concept?

I don't feel like the owner of the concept. The concept was created by a team, initially composed of me and Gonçalo. Following what Gonçalo said about respecting the landscape and the tradition of Comporta, the concept emerged from our desire to do things "à Comporta" but a bit differently. Our goal with the second project, based on the first, is to maintain some coherence and obviously the concept. However, I don't see myself as the owner or guardian. My objective was to maintain the coherence of the whole. (José Charrua)

The architectural language translates and interprets the surroundings, with volumes taking the form of cabins. Tell us a bit about the design of these elements and their integration.

We wanted to respect what had already been done and transport it to a new place. For this, we started with two main principles: the continuity of the cabin as a reflection of Comporta's vernacular architecture and the dispersion of the villas across the terrain, giving each one privacy and minimizing the overall impact on the landscape. Essentially, what we are doing here is not telling a new story but continuing an existing one and creating spaces where the final client feels at peace, in their own little haven. Architecture is meant to serve. There is a perception that architects are pure artists, even divas, but our work involves an artistic side as well as a very technical component. We are technicians; we serve people and design with them in mind. (Fernando Flora)

The architectural language and materiality are carried over. The form is that of a cabin, but we didn't want to mimic the Comporta cabin rigorously. We wanted to do something different but that still preserved the essence. In terms of materiality, we always opted for pure, genuine materials — the wood is exposed wood, the metal is exposed metal, and where we used paint, the idea was always that, from a chromatic perspective, these built elements would be camouflaged in nature. There are moments when you can't see the buildings; they are perfectly integrated, and it's in those moments that we know the concept has been well executed. (José Charrua)

Fragmentos has developed several projects in Comporta over the past few years. Each project is always a challenge. What have been the main challenges of this project?

It's a big challenge! I believe that starting is a very big challenge, but continuing a successful project like this is challenging for any team. The partnership with José and the client was essential. From the beginning, there was, in addition to empathy, a great respect for what had already been done. It's worth mentioning that the specifics of the project also help the architect a lot, and here we were lucky with these specifics. The terrain helps, the topography, the orientation, and the program itself. The program for Sublime Comporta Villas is extensive and complex. The main challenge is incorporating this complexity to create an environment of calm and tranquility, like what we feel in the original Sublime. (Fernando Flora)

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Detail of one of the villas

The Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & Spa, designed by architect José Charrua, was an inaugural project in the way tourism is done in Comporta. With sustainable concerns, the development has been gradually built in harmony with the unique landscape of pine trees, dunes, and rice fields. In 2019, the intention arose to create a new development with a distinct yet analogous concept, and Fragmentos was invited to develop this new Sublime in partnership with José Charrua. It was absolutely fundamental for the client to maintain environmental concerns, ensuring the program adapted to and fit the territory rather than the other way around, with nature preceding the design. Respecting the morphology, a main hub was designed to house the various common areas — restaurants, bars, spa, pools, and sports facilities — marking the arrival point. From this center, wooden pathways distribute the accommodation units throughout the site. The architectural language translates and interprets the surroundings, with the volumes taking the form of cabins clad in wood and glass, with zinc roofs. Inside, the villas are designed not just as resting spaces but as true refuges where residents can reconnect with themselves and the environment. Scattered among natural elements, the villas create a visual impression of reduced impact, allowing the landscape to prevail over the built areas. The integration of the volumes into the landscape and the preservation of the local identity is the guiding principle of the entire project.

We spoke with the client, Gonçalo Pessoa, and the architects Fernando Flora (in-house) and José Charrua, who shared some details about this project.

 

The Sublime Comporta Villas can be seen as an extension of the iconic Comporta Country Retreat & Spa. How does one transition from one project to the other?

The Sublime Comporta opened its doors in 2014 as a very small project: a country house with 12 rooms. The first years went well, and in 2016, we decided to take a leap, requalifying the project as a hotel-apartment. We went from 14 rooms to over 40, and shortly after, to 60. In 2019, the project stabilized with a total of 23 inventory rooms and 22 houses. Then came the opportunity to expand by acquiring an adjacent plot of land. On this second plot, we are implementing not only 43 more accommodation units but also a set of other amenities that we didn't have in the original Sublime, including an event building. We don't want to tell the world that we have two hotels. What we will say is that Sublime has grown, adding a range of amenities. (Gonçalo Pessoa)

We know that Comporta was love at first sight for you, Gonçalo. Did your passion for this location, with its unique landscape and cultural characteristics, lead to a greater concern for respecting it?

Absolutely. The beauty here, the magnificence, is nature. Nature rules, and it was very clear to me that the architecture had to respect and be perfectly integrated with nature. This was the premise we presented, first to José Alberto Charrua and later to Fragmentos, to follow that line of continuity from what already existed in the original Sublime, with profound respect for nature. Architecture must have a sense of place and respect the tradition of Comporta, which, although sparse, is very much related to the huts and the forms people imagine when they think of something iconic about Comporta. (Gonçalo Pessoa)

As the creator of the original Sublime project, do you feel like a guardian of the concept?

I don't feel like the owner of the concept. The concept was created by a team, initially composed of me and Gonçalo. Following what Gonçalo said about respecting the landscape and the tradition of Comporta, the concept emerged from our desire to do things "à Comporta" but a bit differently. Our goal with the second project, based on the first, is to maintain some coherence and obviously the concept. However, I don't see myself as the owner or guardian. My objective was to maintain the coherence of the whole. (José Charrua)

The architectural language translates and interprets the surroundings, with volumes taking the form of cabins. Tell us a bit about the design of these elements and their integration.

We wanted to respect what had already been done and transport it to a new place. For this, we started with two main principles: the continuity of the cabin as a reflection of Comporta's vernacular architecture and the dispersion of the villas across the terrain, giving each one privacy and minimizing the overall impact on the landscape. Essentially, what we are doing here is not telling a new story but continuing an existing one and creating spaces where the final client feels at peace, in their own little haven. Architecture is meant to serve. There is a perception that architects are pure artists, even divas, but our work involves an artistic side as well as a very technical component. We are technicians; we serve people and design with them in mind. (Fernando Flora)

The architectural language and materiality are carried over. The form is that of a cabin, but we didn't want to mimic the Comporta cabin rigorously. We wanted to do something different but that still preserved the essence. In terms of materiality, we always opted for pure, genuine materials — the wood is exposed wood, the metal is exposed metal, and where we used paint, the idea was always that, from a chromatic perspective, these built elements would be camouflaged in nature. There are moments when you can't see the buildings; they are perfectly integrated, and it's in those moments that we know the concept has been well executed. (José Charrua)

Fragmentos has developed several projects in Comporta over the past few years. Each project is always a challenge. What have been the main challenges of this project?

It's a big challenge! I believe that starting is a very big challenge, but continuing a successful project like this is challenging for any team. The partnership with José and the client was essential. From the beginning, there was, in addition to empathy, a great respect for what had already been done. It's worth mentioning that the specifics of the project also help the architect a lot, and here we were lucky with these specifics. The terrain helps, the topography, the orientation, and the program itself. The program for Sublime Comporta Villas is extensive and complex. The main challenge is incorporating this complexity to create an environment of calm and tranquility, like what we feel in the original Sublime. (Fernando Flora)

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