What it's all about...

This blog started with miniatures and sketchbook. So back to the sketchbook we go!

(on-site cartography, under the rain, in Lisbon)

(on-site cartography, under the rain, in Lisbon) 

(on-site cartography, under the rain, in Lisbon) 

(Ben + Pepe) 

(That's supposed to be a park.)

(Work + Pixar + hey Melody, did you see my sketchbook?)

Workshop 7 - Lisboa!

To conclude my series of late blog posts, I present you the work produced during the 7th workshop in Lisbon during the beginning of winter.

Work made in a group of 6; Jule, Melody, Urbano, Teresa, Raquel and Me; under the supervision of Pedro Melo.

(Downloadable version)

PUBLIC INTERFACES

After analysing the intervention area, we distinguished two different patterns in the urban matrix of the area. One, Alfama with a defined network of narrow streets and small public squares of different atmospheres, some more public and some more private for residents. The other, the platform including the waterfront, Santa Apolónia station and the military museum with different scales and characteristics.

As Alexandra Gesta mentioned during our visit to Guimarães, “there is no public space without its surrounding”. Due to this fact, we considered all area as a complex unity to be reconnected.

The aim is to create a network by using a defined hierarchy of squares from public to private towards Alfama. For this, besides re-qualifying the squares, we felt the need to enhance the existing connections and to implement new ones between these two patterns.

To accomplish this we use the secondary streets, emphasizing the views from the small squares to the river, and the existing empty buildings, re-used to connect the different levels of the streets, with lifts, stairs and transitional spaces and new uses - new-stands, toilets - that will reinforce the activity of these up to now anonymous buildings and this way contributing decisively to the revitalization of this area by acquiring a strategic value.

Nowadays the main public space in Santa Apolónia is its train Station. The intention is to extend the inside public space towards the outside and creating a common public platform for the station and the surrounding restaurants and bars to work as one space that belongs to the same public realm. The continuous floor links the different heights around the station prompting freedom of movement. Thus, the station becomes a public structure more permeable and linked to its surrounding.

The big square in front of the museum is considered as the main urban void of our proposal where public gathering and spontaneous performances will take place. This square is defined by the museum itself, the platform that embraces the train station, the road that goes through the site, a new line of trees proposed and a line of water that scratches the pavement and reveals the historical limit of the city.

Regarding the waterfront, our proposal seeks to continue the stripe along the river by giving a special emphasis to the continuation of the park of the cruise terminal. This belvedere provides different feelings to the users, a barrier of trees in the tangent with the river and also the main street. Moreover, some glimpses that creates new perspectives towards the city and the station.

As for the warehouses along this stripe, our intention is to keep the existing restaurants and shops. The soon to be four vacant modules, currently used as a cruise terminal, are opened to create a new urban opportunity for different uses such as a fresh market to bring back the local memory of the past and revitalize the activity along the waterfront.

(Presentation - Downloadable version)

(Publication panels - Downloadable version)

(Waterfront of Lisbon, organisation of space)

(Interventions on / around the site. Connexions through the city grid)

(Propositions of the new public spaces)

(Circulations propositions / entering the grid through the grid itself)

(Largo Caminhos do Ferro)

(Parque da Ribeira)

That's all for now. I wish you a happy new year, and see you soon!

Tallin R+M

A quick glimpse of the workshop 6 in Tallinn (Sept-Oct 2012)

7 weeks, two projects and a week-long break in Berlin. 2 projects, 2 scales: the street and the district with GreBlis (De).

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 Roosikrantsi  Street

     1-week project of transformation of a street as an access to the city centre.

Expansion of the underground passage network including the street as a main entrance, reduction of the circulation, pedestrian-friendly treatment of the ground (unique pavement covering the whole space) and green spaces as attraction / expansion points.

 (Freedom square, before)

  (Freedom square, before)

  (Roosikrantsi - north part)

(Roosikrantsi - proposition)

Complete presentation here

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Mustamaë

     Renovation / transformation project of one of the districts of Mustamaë. Theses were the first districts to be build with pre-fab elements by the communists (system then used everywhere from Vladivostok to Berlin). Theses buildings were made for 30 years, then an extra 20. Today, after 50 years, they still stand, despite the poor quality of the concrete and the lack of thermic and acoustic insulation.

We choose to work at an urban scale first, since we don't believe the situation (isolation, lack of life) can only be changed by small-action project there.

 (Mustamaë - existing situation)

  (Mustamaë - proposition)

 (Mustamaë, district 3 - existing situation)

 (Mustamaë, district 3 - proposition)

 (Mustamaë, district 3 - new circulation network)

 (zoom in - extended typology 1)

 (zoom in - extended typology 2)

 

Our proposition is to re-use the existing system, trying not to destroy it too much, and densify it. Since most inhabitants are owners of their flats, it’s not an option for us to erase everything and start working on a blank page. We propose to bring a piece of city with various typologies and a street life in Mustamaë.

Using the existing buildings as a base, we develop blocks. Theses blocks contains various programmatic elements such as housing, commerce’s, offices, but also school and kindergarten, and a library. Between and around theses blocks, we propose a network of streets and plazas, bringing back human scale and small-scale life in the district. Although we rationalised the whole system and its links with the surrounding areas, we decided not to get rid of the cars. They are part of the city, and instead of taking them away, we propose to give them a proper and defined place in the streets.

During this exercise, we focused on some typologies examples. In addition to the existing prefab buildings, some social housing, group housings and individuals plots.

 (typology 1 - volumetric proposition)

 (typology 1 - volumetric proposition)

 (typology 1 - volumetric proposition)

We gave some formal and conceptual propositions for the individual housing system.
In theses blocks, our idea is to reduce the height of existing, and densify the area by building some 1-3 levels houses.
First step is to define the position of the future constructions by setting the roads, streets, plazas and parking spots. Then, after setting an infobox (future community point), we divide the area in plots of 10x4 meters. Theses plots are sold or given to former inhabitants (possibility to have one or more plots to build). Finally, the building of start. Different architects according to urban rules of the district design each house. Therefore we ensure that the diversity of the place will be respected and we avoid an uniform neighbourhood. In the same time, the prefabricated building is scaled down, proposing new spaces on its roof for inhabitants.

Since we want the new Mustamaë to be a piece of city, we decided not to give too strong indications. Height, maximal volumetric, possible materials, but no architectural indications or constraints.

Considering the actual flat occupation of 1,7 person per flat, our proposition would at least double the population of Mustamaë (at least +80%, ore if the flat occupation rises)

Again, you will find the presentation here and the up-to-scale posters there.

(Puddle, Tallinn. yeah, it was part of the workshop. I swear!)

Soon (tomorrow maybe?) the workshop of Lisbon, finished 2 weeks ago.

And oh, yeah, merry thing. yeah, you know.

Alcobaça - Braga - Guimares

Watercolours n' portugal

... But really, it's for work!

During the past week, I made some quick watercolours to analyse small squares, views, and to render our first ideas of parks.The first two were made live, on the site, under the rain and put in colour later in the studio.

'Cause of the size of my watercolour set, I don't usually use it for work. Maybe I should.

Praça Dr Bernardino Antonio Gomes, view point toward the river.

 Praça Dr Bernardino Antonio Gomes, view point toward the river. 

 View from the Navy Hospital's Parking

 Beco da Lapa

  Beco da Lapa

Stairs, rua da Remedios

Pavement invaded by grass and moss

 Vegetation implantation concept

 Park concept

 Park concept