The Santa Joana Hotel is the transformation of an historic school building in the heart of Aveiro into a four-star establishment comprising 88 rooms, distributed over a three-floor building with an additional attic level. Rather than constructing something entirely new, the project opted to work with the pre-existing infrastructure. This involved the restoration and adaptation of the Santa Joana School, a building with a long history located in the heart of the city on Largo Maia Magalhães, in a district recognised for its significant urban heritage. The most significant aspect of the project is its emphasis on simplification. A subsequent extension to the original building, which was added without much consideration for its surroundings, is to be removed. The end result is a cleaner, more coherent whole. At the core of the building lies a courtyard, preserved as a tranquil garden, offering guests a sense of calm and greenery in the heart of the city. It also brings natural light deep into the building, making it feel open and connected to the outdoors despite its urban setting. The ground floor comprises the hotel’s social spaces, including reception, a restaurant and support areas. The upper floors are dedicated to the hotel rooms. The blue, tiled façade is the most visible expression of the project’s identity. It draws inspiration from the hand-painted azulejo panels that adorn the original entrance hall, a feature of the building that is held in high regard, and incorporates this aesthetic into the exterior, thereby creating a landmark that feels firmly anchored in Aveiro’s unique visual heritage. Discreetly incorporated into the building’s roofline, the attic level contains 13 rooms with private terraces, allowing the historic silhouette of the building to be preserved while still providing exclusive access to an outdoor space with unparalleled views of the city.