White cube homes

Olhão, a fishing town in the heart of the Algarve, is known as the city of cubes, owing to cube-shaped buildings, which date back to the 18^th Century.  These are sandwiched between narrow winding streets of distinctly Islamic appearance.

These white houses, with Moorish terraces and mouldings with grey and blue edging, are the pride of the city.   It is this architecture in the area close to the town market, characterised by its geometrical form with its roof terraces, belvederes, small lookouts, towers and balconies, which the Barreta quarter is determined to preserve.

The roof terrace, a common feature of houses along the Algarvian coastline but more prevalent in Olhão, arose not only from the desire to have extensive views of the area, but also to have a private area to dry fruit and fish, and even to sleep during warm summer nights.

However, the construction of this style of building only started in the 18^th Century.  The people of Olhão, inspired through their constant contact with Moroccans, began building houses in a similar style, adopting the cubic form and whitewashed walls.  Money from the fish industry allowed the area to be developed, and in 1790, all the fishermen’s wooden huts were converted to square houses with chimneys decorated with lace patterns and roof terraces instead of tiled roofs.