porto norte 41 (Oitoo)

Open competition: 3rd prize

“Time is a great architect.” — Siza Vieira

To speak of urban regeneration — both in general and specifically in this area of Porto — is to speak of a gradual process: a phased project with varying degrees of intensity and transformation.

It means acknowledging the presence of transitional programmes before any definitive ones (if those ever materialise). It means discussing temporary uses for vacant spaces, basic cleaning and maintenance, and neighbours meeting one another long before speaking of building rehabilitation and certainly before imagining new museums or hotels.

This does not imply that new buildings are unwelcome if favourable conditions for private investors are created early in the process; on the contrary. Returning to Siza’s quote, given in the context of the urban regeneration of Chiado in Lisbon, one of the key catalysts for that intervention’s success was the opening of a major retail building, which played a decisive role in revitalising the dynamics of public space in the area.

The proposal operates across six priority scopes:
To Connect – creating a network of pedestrian routes around and within the city blocks;
To Reuse – addressing the “rotten teeth”: vacant, abandoned or derelict buildings;
To Value – recognising the “Companhia Aurifícia” quarter as a key asset;
To Optimise – densifying the site with new constructions;
To Rationalise – promoting environmental, social and economic sustainability;
To Educate – engaging city dwellers and society at large.