Articles Recognitions

Quinta do Jardim

Developed in partnership with landscape architects Francisco Costa Cabral and Elsa Severino, the proposal is rooted in a careful reading of the site and in the enhancement of its existing features (walls, paths, wells, and the former watercourse) integrating them into a new, continuous and accessible public space structure, able to accommodate different uses throughout the year. More than a park, the proposal seeks to establish a green infrastructure for the city, bringing together leisure, sport, and science. Two key facilities structure the whole and play a central role in organising the park: the Gymnastics Academy and the Ciência Viva Centre. Both are positioned along the edge of the existing embankment, using the natural change in level as a design tool to integrate architecture into the landscape, control its scale, and pursue a more resource-efficient solution.

The Gymnastics Academy is partially embedded into the slope, allowing much of its massing to be absorbed by the terrain. Its façades and roofs are conceived as extensions of the park, with green solutions that turn the building into a continuation of the topography. The functional layout is clear and precise: the upper level accommodates public and administrative spaces, while the lower level concentrates the training areas and technical support facilities. A large north-facing glazed opening brings daylight into the hall and opens the building to the landscape, framing views over the valley and the Serra da Gardunha, reinforcing the relationship between the building and its setting. The Ciência Viva Centre is organised around a large covered platform formed by subtracting material from the existing embankment. Supported by a series of slender columns, this slab creates a shaded, multifunctional intermediate space, operating as a natural extension of the park. Beneath it, several programme clusters are arranged in autonomous, flexible volumes, allowing phased construction without compromising the coherence of the whole. On the upper floor, exhibition spaces, the auditorium, and public areas open onto the park through large glazed spans, while technical and laboratory spaces are organised around internal courtyards, ensuring natural light.

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Masterplan
Ciência Viva, section
Ciência Viva, perspective section
Gym Academy, section
Gym Academy, perspective section

Developed in partnership with landscape architects Francisco Costa Cabral and Elsa Severino, the proposal is rooted in a careful reading of the site and in the enhancement of its existing features (walls, paths, wells, and the former watercourse) integrating them into a new, continuous and accessible public space structure, able to accommodate different uses throughout the year. More than a park, the proposal seeks to establish a green infrastructure for the city, bringing together leisure, sport, and science. Two key facilities structure the whole and play a central role in organising the park: the Gymnastics Academy and the Ciência Viva Centre. Both are positioned along the edge of the existing embankment, using the natural change in level as a design tool to integrate architecture into the landscape, control its scale, and pursue a more resource-efficient solution.

The Gymnastics Academy is partially embedded into the slope, allowing much of its massing to be absorbed by the terrain. Its façades and roofs are conceived as extensions of the park, with green solutions that turn the building into a continuation of the topography. The functional layout is clear and precise: the upper level accommodates public and administrative spaces, while the lower level concentrates the training areas and technical support facilities. A large north-facing glazed opening brings daylight into the hall and opens the building to the landscape, framing views over the valley and the Serra da Gardunha, reinforcing the relationship between the building and its setting. The Ciência Viva Centre is organised around a large covered platform formed by subtracting material from the existing embankment. Supported by a series of slender columns, this slab creates a shaded, multifunctional intermediate space, operating as a natural extension of the park. Beneath it, several programme clusters are arranged in autonomous, flexible volumes, allowing phased construction without compromising the coherence of the whole. On the upper floor, exhibition spaces, the auditorium, and public areas open onto the park through large glazed spans, while technical and laboratory spaces are organised around internal courtyards, ensuring natural light.

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