Silves ‘Fábrica do Inglês’ may become a monument of public interest

In an announcement made today, the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) are proposing that the late 19th century Fábrica do Inglês in Silves become a monument of public interest (MIP).

The procedure for classifying Fábrica do Inglês as a monument of public interest began almost three years ago, in April 2019, after an initial proposal to classify the property as MIP in October 2018 failed to comply with a legal deadline, which led to the expiry of the procedure.

This current classification procedure document, which will be under public consultation for 30 working days from today, states that the building stands out for its particular “industrial architectural structure, uncommon, in a Portugal of banalities.”[something that lacks originality, freshness, or novelty] 

The structure was originally built in 1893-94 as the former Avern, Son & Barris Cork Factory, and remained in operation until 1991, when it was made part of the Cork Museum.

The factory complex was acquired by Fábrica do Inglês, a company of the Alicoop Group, at the end of the 20th century, rehabilitated and transformed into a tourist entertainment complex, with spaces for restaurants and shows, but was abandoned after the bankruptcy of the owner group in 2010.

On May 30, 2014, the museum’s assets and the building were put up for public auction, in which the City Council of Silves participated, but the winning bid was made by the Nogueira Group for 36,000 euros.

The decommissioned buildings of Fábrica do Inglês were acquired by Caixa Geral de Depósitos for 2.2 million euros.

The relevant elements of the process can be consulted on the websites of the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve and the Câmara de Silves.