Designed by French engineer Reinald Oudinot, the building follows the neoclassical principles of late 18th-century urbanism.
Incredibly, this project was only really finished at the beginning of the 1900s, (by French contractors) and indeed the Port of Leixões continues even today to be subject to improvements and alterations.
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Together, their most important works were the improvements to the entry of the harbour at Leixões where Oudinot worked from 1789 to 1802 and Gomes de Carvalho continued until 1826, and the linking of the Vouga River directly to the sea at Aveiro which began in 1802.
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Together with his son in law, Oudinot was asked by the Marquês do Pombal to resolve the problem of flooding in the city of Aveiro where a storm in 1575 had blocked the original exit of the Vouga River to the sea, causing the city to be semi-flooded much of the year.
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The objective of the work at Leixões was to provide a safer harbour than that offered by the hazardous mouth of the River Douro, in an effort to help export Port wine and other products from the Douro Valley.