Hidden in full view: a concrete house is buried in the Portuguese countryside

Located in a rolling landscape of the Portuguese countryside near the town of Monsaraz, this concrete house was designed by Lisbon architectural practice Aires Mateus, combining the brutalist rigor of the material with a sculptural purity that echoes the unspoiled beauty of the Alentejo region. The property overlooks the vast Alqueva Lake, the largest man-made lake in Europe, and its unlimited scope led the architect to decide to concentrate the house on a protected courtyard embracing the water. In contrast to the prominent location of the nearby town of Monsaraz, a fortified settlement perches on top of rocky outcrops, with Mateus-designed houses hidden in plain sight. Dug up to the hillside, hidden by a green roof, the only visible elements of the building's presence were a cantilevered roof jutting out toward the lake and a white circular light well, but even these could only be seen from above.