Regional Government invests €8.1 million in expansion and refurbishment of Antero de Quental Secondary School - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, has just authorised the launch of an international public tender for the expansion and refurbishment of the Antero de Quental Secondary School in Ponta Delgada, under a design-build contract, corresponding to an overall investment of €8.1 million.

The procedure will be conducted by the Regional Directorate for Public Works. It represents a strategic intervention towards the structural and functional modernisation of one of the Region’s most important educational establishments.

With a base price of €7 million, plus VAT (€8.1 million), this project will involve the expansion and refurbishment of the school, delivering clear improvements in teaching conditions, the organisation of spaces and the overall efficiency of the infrastructure, bringing it into line with the requirements of the contemporary educational model.

The project is primarily intended to boost the school’s capacity with the new building and classrooms, which will address the current shortage of teaching spaces. This will remove teaching activities from the historic Fonte Bela Palace, a listed building that has suffered significant wear and tear due to intensive use by the school community. Subsequently, in a second phase, an intervention is planned for this historic building.

With the construction of new facilities, the pressure on this heritage building will be significantly reduced, allowing it to be enhanced and put to uses more in keeping with its historical and architectural value.

The project also includes new educational spaces tailored to current needs and the construction of an indoor sports hall, thus improving facilities for sporting activities and the full development of students.

As part of the refurbishment, there are also plans to reorganise and modernise the cafeteria areas, which will be located in a single space in the south-east courtyard, improving capacity, functionality and comfort for the school community.

The project will be carried out under a design-build contract, a model that combines the design and construction phases, ensuring faster completion, better cost control and a more efficient response to technical requirements, whilst guaranteeing quality and precision in implementation.

It should be noted that the initial phase focuses primarily on expanding the school's capacity, specifically through the construction of new classrooms, increasing teaching capacity (to address the shortage of classrooms), creating new support facilities, including a canteen and a snack bar, and redesigning the south/east courtyard area.

This is a strategic phase, as the transfer of students to new premises will create the conditions for subsequent work on the old building.

In a later phase, the works will proceed with a major refurbishment of the old structure (the palace), the renovation of the most deteriorated areas, and the potential restoration of heritage features and modernisation of spaces.

With this investment, the Government of the Azores reiterates its commitment to upgrading public schools, improving learning conditions and safeguarding heritage, with a view to promoting a more modern, functional and future-oriented educational infrastructure.