Flemish designer and architect Vincent Van Duysen has used his instincts for Zen Brutalism to envisage an architectural marvel of a private members club and retreat on 164 hectares of a protected reserve in Comporta, Portugal.

Named Jncquoi Club Comporta, its owners are Paula Amorim, chairwoman of Amorim Luxury Group, and hospitality veteran Miguel Guedes de Sousa. Guedes de Sousa, known for his tenure at Aman Resorts, founded Jncquoi in 2016 and has since built it into one of Portugal’s most elite hospitality brands. The latest endeavor marks a 680 million euro investment.

Amid a wave of jetsetters flocking to Lisbon for the year-round good weather, vibes and tax incentives, de Sousa capitalized on the opportunity to create Portugal’s response to the elite private members settings like the Soho House and Cipriani, complete with country club features, a hotel, golf course and fine dining experiences.

When it cuts the ribbon in 2028, Jncquoi Club Comporta — which includes JNcQUOI Hotel, its first major hospitality project — it will be a protected reserve for its members and guests, blending luxury and rustic charm with fine dining and over a half-mile of private beachfront access.

The area has reportedly enticed royals like Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex; Princess Eugenie and celebrities like Paris Hilton and Christian Louboutin, all attracted to Comporta for its calming atmosphere. Jncquoi Hotel is the third hotel to get permission to build in that area, its owners said.

Duysen, who is also the creative director of upscale furniture firm Molteni&C, said the upcoming landmark has pushed him to test the boundaries of his own work, discover new materials and develop new zero-waste techniques. “I only worked with three or four materials,” Van Duysen told WWD in an interview. Among them, Brazilian Ipe wood, cork, terracotta and pigmented concrete, which much like Casa M, blends in with the natural landscape, the sandy beaches and the dunes that characterize the area. Native grass will be planted on rooftops to further weave the new construction into the landscape.

“I always try to limit the choices of materials, because it’s great when that kind of uniformity and calmness permeates a project. I think it is very important, because I want the project to be very holistic and not screaming. It is very subdued,” he said.

Both Van Duysen and de Sousa are fans of Comporta. Van Duysen’s famed residence Casa M, known for its “sculptural oeuvre camouflaged by the rolling hills, dunes and cork trees,” is situated in nearby Alentejo, south of Lisbon. De Sousa has been vacationing there practically since birth.

“Van Duysen is a genius,” said De Sousa, referring to his admiration for Casa M. It took five years to get the project off the ground and obtain a license from the region to commence construction at a location that he said sets itself apart as sophisticated, rustic and a haven for families.

Five-star service will abound: private butlers will be on staff to serve a meticulously designed collection of turnkey private villas and guest pavilions. The 64 private villa residences will have expansive living and entertaining areas, two master suites, service quarters, a dramatic fireplace, outdoor terraces and a pool. In addition, 94 freestanding guest pavilions will be available in configurations of one to four per property, and will include 34 expansive hotel pavilions, expected to be completed without encumbering the native pine forest. Landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic was tapped to sculpt the grounds to exist in seamless dialogue with Comporta’s rugged beauty.

Jncquoi’s first property, Jncquoi Avenida, opened in Lisbon in 2017. That was followed by Jncquoi Asia, specializing in cosmopolitan Indian, Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisine and another Chinese restaurant with 1920s oriental decor, Jncquoi FrouFrou. These restaurants are complemented by Jncquoi Club, a Private Members Club. All four venues are situated on the Avenida da Liberdade promenade. The hotels and restaurants are open to the public, while the clubs cater to a 2,000-member community represented by an equal ratio of international and Portuguese members.

In 2024, Jncquoi established its presence in Comporta with the Deli Comporta restaurant, which serves mostly regional Portuguese cuisine. It also erected a unique two-bedroom suite named Jncquoi Deli Suite in Carvalhal, a neighboring village. Deli Suite was designed by the acclaimed architectural studio JPDemeyer&Co and is a five-minute drive from from the Jncquoi Beach Club.

The Amorim Luxury Group, part of the Amorim Group — a global leader in the cork industry — is home to brands such as Fashion Clinic, Fashion Clinic Home, Paula and House of Capricorn.

Van Duysen said he hopes the region maintains its calming sense of peace. “I really hope that Comporta retains its sense of quiet dignity. It’s very deserted; it’s protected, and it has incredible, beautifully pristine beaches. We’re all scared that it has become overexposed.…So I really hope that Comporta stays a secret.”