Vanguard Properties, Grândola town council and VHILS have teamed up to transform the village of Muda into something uniquely artistic

Today, Vanguard Properties signed a memorandum of understanding with Grândola town council and acclaimed artist VHILS for the design and development of four artworks. These pieces are destined for public areas of the Muda Reserve property development and will later be donated to the town council. This agreement was formalised at a ceremony attended by the mayor of Grândola, António Figueira Mendes, Alexandre Farto, "aka" VHILS, and the CEO of Vanguard Properties, José Cardoso Botelho.

The artworks include three sculptures – described as dioramas by the artist - which follow the land’s topography, while leaning towards the viewer, which offers a better understanding of them. The figures represent the anonymous person, which is a constant feature of VHILS's oeuvre. Compositions crafted by the artist emerge from the dune and solidify forever, representing no one in particular but everyone at the same time. For the area next to the Muda Reserve chapel, the proposed intervention involves a large sculpture that spreads over 800 square metres, offering a direct ground-level experience that, as a whole, can only be visible from an aerial perspective.

With this initiative, Vanguard Properties makes a further commitment to revitalising the village of Muda, while supporting local people. This public area will house different commerce, leisure and sports facilities for the local community, not to mention the chapel, which will be designed by the renowned Burkinabe architect Francis Keré, winner of the 2022 Pritzker Prize.

In total, Vanguard Properties foresees investment of over 3.5 million euros in social, leisure and sports facilities, of which one million euros will be set aside for artistic projects.

In the words of José Cardoso Botelho, CEO of Vanguard Properties: "this is a very important step towards making Vanguard Properties' vision a reality, creating value for people and for the Grândola region. We have always wanted our developments to spark regional development, attracting investment and people, improving the local population’s quality of life. This means creating complementary infrastructures, such as shops, services, a chapel and recreational and sports spaces, as well as large green areas. The artistic element is crucial, as it benefits the entire region, leaving a legacy that will endure for future generations. Today, we’re moving one step closer to what we want the Grândola region to be in the future."  

Boasting a total investment of 200 million euros, the Muda Reserve project covers an area of over 350 hectares, involving the construction of 175 villas, as well as around 50 farms with five hectares each, all of which have been sold. This sustainable and innovative project will be built with wood by Kozowood Industries. Every building will be zero carbon (NZEB), with A+ energy certification and part of an energy community, thanks to the partnership signed with Greenvolt Communities.

In the same region, Vanguard Properties has also invested in the "Terras da Comporta" project, which includes "Dunas" and "Torre" and features a hotel, tourist and residential component, with areas dedicated to commerce, culture, health, education and sport.