a new process was open on 9 may 1996, by the vice-president of ippar, but little advanced until 19 september 2000 (when a dispatch was ordered to reconfigure the area of intervention), this after a proposal was issued on 21 august 2000, by the drporto to alter the classification area. a project to rehabilitate the building, under the direction of architects antónio portugal mendonça and manuel amorim reis, received the joão de almeida prize in 2006, from the municipality of porto. on 20 march 2012, the drcnorte proposed classifying the structure as a "monumento of interesse público", which received support and was designated on 14 november 2012, along with the establishment of zpe (special protection area) designation (announcement 13694/2012, diário da republica, série 2, 220).