The centre, which will function as a temporary residency for artisans, should be functioning “in full” in the beginning of 2021, Ana Pífaro, Albufeira's deputy mayor, told Lusa.

The building, whose work started in November, will have “an exhibition component, another one for training and artists and artisans working 'in loco'”, he added, stressing that the objective is also to encourage the creation of new handicraft companies.

The mayor emphasized that it is intended that the visitor can get to know not only “the pieces already completed”, but “how to get to the final work” and, for this, he will always try to have “some work to be done on site, live”, even to “increase people's interest in visiting the place”.

To achieve this objective, partnerships will be established with other structures in the municipality that “work with handicrafts and other types of art”, he said.

The project will also provide information on traditional handicraft techniques, who produces them and the way they do it, covering all stages throughout the production process, from the idea to the final product - in an informative way.

The objective is to facilitate the transmission of ancestral knowledge and promote its dissemination at the tourist level.

In order to transmit and adapt old knowledge to the current reality, the project includes an area of ??training aimed at different types of public, namely, the school community and tourists who want to participate in a visiting experience.

Ana Pífaro stressed that the centre is not going to be stagnant in only one aspect, but can accommodate several valences, which are included in the culture.

“Everything possible to be done in the centre will be done, from handicrafts, tapestries or exhibitions”, he said.

For more than 20 years, the building - classified as heritage of municipal interest - has ceased to exercise judicial functions and its recovery is “part of a heritage rehabilitation policy” in the historic centre of Albufeira.

The requalification started with Praça da República, and this second phase includes “the rehabilitation of the old court and the old Mother Church”, revealed the vice president.

The municipality intends to “return some identity to the old city centre”, for the benefit of the citizens, but also to add a cultural component to those who visit the city.