Álvaro Siza Vieira’s project for the new FDUC Library officially unveiled today
With an investment of over €28 million, the infrastructure will be built within the perimeter of the Palácio dos Melos. The first phase of the project is already underway.
The project for the new Library of the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (FDUC), designed by renowned architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, was publicly presented today, in the UC Senate Room. With an investment of over €28 million, the new infrastructure will be built within the perimeter of the Palácio dos Melos (the former Faculty of Pharmacy), in the heart of the University’s historic campus.
The first phase of the project is already underway, involving archaeological and heritage work essential due to the site’s location on the city’s acropolis and within the University of Coimbra’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Partially embedded into the hillside, the new library will integrate harmoniously into its surroundings, preserving parts of the Palácio dos Melos and recreating the historic botanical garden space along the North Façade of the Paço das Escolas.
“This is a unique opportunity to build on Coimbra’s Acropolis, overlooking the old cathedral and the lower city at the foot of the great university building,” said Álvaro Siza Vieira, emphasising the importance of maintaining the right balance between spaces and volumes.
The future library will house over 400,000 works from the FDUC collection, gathered over centuries. Designed to meet the demands of a modern academic library, the building will feature large reading rooms, archives, technical and administrative services, and large access routes and walkways. Key elements of the layout include a main hall - Atrium, a large reading room, a meeting hall, and the book and journal storage room.
According to Jónatas Machado, Director of the Faculty of Law, “This is the fulfilment of a long-standing vision – the dream of Gomes Canotilho and Avelãs Nunes, who, with the unwavering support of Artur Santos Silva, never stopped imagining the Law School of the future.”
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, after the conclusion of the current preliminary archaeological and heritage work, and is expected to conclude in 2029.
