7006MARCH/2 Group Masterplan Report Alexander London-Smith Lee Mock 1
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Contents:
Site Locaton.......................................................p5 History of the Site...............................................p9 Tourism Study....................................................p19 Recent / Current Development........................... p25 Site Analysis.......................................................p31 Initial Ideas..........................................................p43 Design Development...........................................p49 Final Proposal.....................................................p57 Cost Appraisal....................................................p69 CDP Proposals.................................................. p73
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Site Location
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Site: Historic Centre, Porto, Portugal Porto is built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro River which is one of Portugal’s leading tourist attractions. The city has an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history linked to the sea. Originally named ‘Portus’ (Port) by the Romans the city features numerous and varied monuments from its Cathedral to the Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara and the Neoclassical Stock Exchange.
Historic Centre
The historic centre of Porto is a UNESCO world heritage centre nominated due to its outstanding universal value as the urban fabric and its many historic buildings bear remarkable testimony to the development over the past thousand years. The historic centre features areas of high aesthetic value displaying evidence of the urban development it underwent during the Roman, Medieval, and Almadas periods. Its rich and varied civil architecture within the historic centre articulates the cultural values of succeeding periods: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque, Neoclassical and Modern.
Porto Cathedral
Santa Clara Church
Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace)
One of the city’s most notable aspects is its scenic character which results from the complex nature of its terrain and its dialogue with the river. It also represents a successful interaction between the social and geographical environments. The active social and institutional tissue of the town ensures its survival as a living historic centre. Porto Riverfront View from Gaia 7
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History of the Site
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History of the Site: Consideration was given to the history of the site and the events and developments which led to its present state. We discovered that prior to the areas listing as a UNESCO World Heritage area that a considerable amount of ‘dilution’ of its historic context had taken place. Through studying the archive material and also historic documentation and photographs found online we discovered that the urban fabric surrounding the Cathedral had been considerably denser up until 1939 when an extensive demolition programme began. This involved the removal of a number of high density residential properties which had occupied the area which is now the Cathedral square.
A series of photographs taken between 1938 and 1940 showing the works which took place to demolish the housing surrounding the Cathedral. 11
Further demolition works were carried out between the years of 1949-1963 when the ‘Avenida da Ponte’ was constructed. This project involved the demolition of further residential properties and a substantial level of ground works to introduce a new road through the historic centre linking the Dom Luis I Bridge to the city. This left what the locals now refer to as ‘the quarry’ which is effectively a manmade valley with cliff faces at either side of the avenue.
Left: Photographs taken in 1963 showing the creation of the ‘Avenida da Ponte’. Right: Historic aerial photograph showing the density of the urban fabric prior to the demolition works. 12
Through studying the historic maps it is possible to track Porto’s urban development. It is evident that from 1813 onwards the Villa Nova de Gaia side of the Duoro River expanded considerably. The expansion appears to have been focused initially around the Monastery Serra do Pilar and during the years between 1833 and 1839 a substantial increase in the number of buildings can be seen. The development was due to the fact that during this period a number of English entrepreneurs moved to the region and began to invest in the vineyards of the Duoro valley. Porto benefitted greatly from the exports. During this same period it is clear that Porto itself also underwent a considerable degree of expansion due partly to the strengthening of the links between England and Porto and the growing trading market. From 1879 onwards a major route through the city began to emerge which linked the Ponte Dom Luis I (the Gustav Eiffel Bridge constructed in 1875) to the historic centre. It is evident that a lot of the public green space that existed in 1879 has been removed to make way for new buildings. The city has become a lot denser in certain areas with obvious exceptions being those areas which underwent major demolition during the period between 1939 and 1963 which has left a considerable void that can ve seen in the aerial photograph of present day Porto. Photographs Left - Right: 1. 1813, 2. 1836, 3. 1839, 4. Present Day Aerial Photograph 13
Notable Landmarks and Builldings: Ponte Dom Luis I: Ponte Dom Luis I (The Luis I Bridge) is the metal arch bridge which spans the Duoro River connecting Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia. A competition was held by the Portuguese Government for the design of the bridge which replaced an existing bridge which was located directly next to the Dom Luis I bridge. Téophile Seyrig, who worked under Gustav Eiffel, completed the design for the bridge and construction began in 1881. The bridge opened on October 31st 1886 and with its span of 172 m it was the longest of its type in the world. • • •
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Total length 385.25 m Weight 3045 tons The arch measures: 172 m in length & 44.6 m in height
São Bento Railway Station: Estação de São Bento (São Bento Railway Station) is located within the historic centre towards the most northern point of our site boundary. The station was opened in 1916 and is famous for its walls adorned with ornate ceramic tiles depicting scenes from Portugal’s history. The station is still in use as a railway station and receives many visitors daily. The station is served by trains It remains in regular use as a railway station and is the western terminus for trains on the scenic Douro line to/from Pocinho. The station’s name was derived from the name given to a Benedictine monastery which occupied the site in the 16th century. The original monastery was destroyed during a fire in 1783 but was subsequently rebuilt. Unfortunately towards the end of the 19th century the rebuilt monastery was in a severe state of disrepair. José Marques da Silva, an architect from Porto, was responsible for the design of the station and King Carlos I laid the first stone during its construction in 1900. The station is a popular tourist destination largely due to its 20 thousand ceramic tiles which date between 1905 and 1916 and are the work of artist Jorge Colaço. The tiles depict events such as the Battle of Valdevez (1140), the arrival of King John I and Philippa of Lancaster in Porto (1387) and the Conquest of Ceuta (1415). 15
Porto Cathedral: SÊ do Porto (The Porto Cathedral) is located at the heart of the city’s historic centre. The Cathedral is one of the oldest monuments of Porto and one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Portugal. Construction of the current Cathedral began in 1100 under the patronage of Bishop Hugo and was completed in the 13th century. The Cathedral has undergone a lot of subsequent alterations since its completion but its façade has remained Romanesque. The Cathedral is a very popular tourist attraction attracting large numbers of visitors on a daily basis.
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Tourism Study
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Tourism Study: Through our desk based studies we quickly identified that Portugal has ambitions to significantly increase its tourist industry due to its beneficial impact on the Portuguese economy and its capacity for wealth-generation and job-creation. According to Reuters tourism contributes to around 10% of the Portuguese Gross Domestic Product (2013 figure). The Portuguese government have recognised that tourism is currently experiencing a boom period and in view of this there is now an ongoing commitment towards the tourism sector including the recent formation of the Portugal National Tourism Authority. In the ‘National Strategic Plan for Tourism – Fostering the Development of Tourism in Portugal’ Manuel Pinho, Minister for Economy and Innovation states:
‘Visit Portugal’ - The Logo Designed for the Portuguese Tourism Brand Profile
“We aim to achieve growth on a daily basis. I believe in tourism’s potential. I believe in the will, talent and determination of the sector’s protagonists. I believe we can move up the value chain. I believe we can go further. We have exceptional resources in terms of geographic location, climate of security, historic and cultural heritage, the affability and adaptability of the Portuguese people”.1 Portugal aims to achieve a 5% annual growth in the number of tourists with the intention of reaching a figure of 20 million tourists in 2015.This it is hoped will see tourism contribute to 15% of the country’s GDP in 2015 and will represent 15% of national employment. 1. Ministry of Economy and Innovation, National Strategic Plan for Tourism – Fostering the Development of Tourism in Portugal , Turismo de Portugal, Lisbon, 2007, p2
Differentiating elements mentioned by tour operators and other market agents - ‘National Strategic Plan for Tourism’ 21
The Duoro River has been identified as a key tourist draw and the cities of Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia have been acknowledged as being key areas to develop to encourage an increase in tourist numbers to the region. The regions which have been identified as being tourist ‘hotspots’ have been studied as part of the drive to promote tourism and the differentiating factors have been identified and value proposals have been formulated for each region.
Right Top: Differentiating Factors Right Bottom: Concept/Objective by Region 22
The improvement and development strategies formulated for the city of Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, are intended to attract not only international tourists but national tourists as well. We have acknowledged this and appreciate that our urban design strategy must include interventions which will make this achievable. The diagrams to the right identify the distinctive characteristics of the region which act as a draw for tourists. They also identify the developments which are required to further increase visitor numbers to the city. The ‘National Strategic Plan for Tourism’ identifies a number of key factors which it is believed will have a positive impact on visitor numbers to the country. These include holding regular events of both national and international significance, the development of the countries cultural content including the introduction of new museums, improving accessibility to the country’s tourist ‘hotspots’, strengthening the concept of the country’s rich gastronomy and enhancing the urban, environmental and landscape quality. All of these factors have been considered during the development of our masterplan strategy.
Right Top: Diagram identifying distinctive factors and development requirements. Right Bottom: Diagram showing the tourist cycle and requirements for preparation as a key tourist destination. 23
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Recent / Current Development
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Porto - A UNESCO World Heritage Site: UNESCO created the idea of world heritage to protect sites of outstanding universal value. Porto was given the title of world heritage site in 1996, the reasoning being; “that the site is of outstanding universal value as the urban fabric and its many historic buildings bear remarkable testimony to the development over the past thousand years of a European city that looks outward to the west for its cultural and commercial links.� As a result restoration of the existing fabric, rather than demolition and re building the area becomes the priority. Due to the cost implication of restoration and the current economic climate of Portugal private developers are reluctant to take on such projects and the area continues to spiral into disrepair. Government incentives and grants have been put in place to encourage development but this comes with restrictions. Final designs have to be approved by the controlling governing body, Porto Vivo and UNESCO appointed body. Being a world heritage site allows Porto to apply for development funds from UNESCO while also using this prestigious label in advertising the area to tourists, attracting more visitors and bringing an increase in revenue to the local economy.
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Porto Vivo’s Development Plan for Oporto: The Porto Vivo, SRU - Urban Rehabilitation Society of Lower Porto SA, is a company-owned by the state (IHRU - Institute for Housing and Urban Renewal, IP) and the Municipality of Porto, incorporated under and pursuant to Decree-Law No. 104/2004, of 7 May, whose mission is to lead the process of urban renewal of downtown Porto. After conducting several studies on the characterisation of buildings, population and economic fabric of downtown Porto and its historic centre, it was possible to define five major objectives: • The re-housing of residents within downtown Porto; • The development and promotion of business in downtown Porto; • The revitalisation of trade; • The promotion of tourism, culture and leisure; • The qualification of the public domain.
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European Capital of Culture 2001: “The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. A number of European cities have used the City of Culture year to transform completely their cultural base and, in doing so, the way in which they are viewed internationally.” (www.uneecc.org) In 2001 in partnership with Rotterdam, Porto was selected as European Capital of Culture. Using this as a catalyst to increase tourism and improve city fabric the ‘Society of Porto 2001’ was established to focus on Cultural Programme and Urban Requalification. From the analysis of the city, it was evident that public spaces and mobility had become an issue resulting in the degradation of buildings and the cultural decline of downtown. The Baixa District was the focus for urban regeneration. Major developments where seen in the enhancement of public spaces, the requalification of the buildings, the economic revitalisation, the requalification of dwellings and the improvement of mobility. This area has become successful and a thriving part of Porto, but as a result the surrounding area of Oporto has suffered.
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Site Analysis
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Site Analysis: Currently the areas of high activity are Sao Bento train station, due to people arriving or departing the area from here, and the developed riverfront due to its attraction to tourists. Access between these two areas is primarily down the avenue Rua Mouzinhonda Silveria primarily due to its comfortable gradient and active street frontages. However as a result of this other points of interest can be missed such as the Cathedral, historic wall and theatre as access from these areas to the waterfront is difficult on foot due to the steep topography of the area. This is why the funicular is so important to the area. Although there is an abundance of public spaces they are often underutilised, mainly due to their isolation from one another and lack of activity within the spaces, with the riverfront being the only real successful public space. Public transport is very adequate within the area, with main rail line starting from Sao Bento train station, Sao Bento metro line runs through the heart of the site, several bus stops populate the area with the terminus at the edge of the site and the funicular providing mechanical transport vertically between the waterfront and the high town. Although there are green areas within the site, most of these are privately owned spaces or what is public is usually left over land rather than designated public green space.
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Site Analysis Continued: Most of the road network and urban fabric developed in Porto is medieval, made for people and at most a horse and cart; as a result many of the roads now populated by car are inappropriate for such access which is why many of the streets are one way access only. Originally a dense medieval city the heart of the site has seen the urban fabric demolished for the introduction of a highway that once allowed cars to travel between the high town of Porto and Gaia, which has now been given over to the metro line and pedestrians. This has resulted in a large road being left with nowhere to go leaving it underused and leaving a scar on the urban fabric with little benefit to the area. Lack of parking within the site has resulted in any leftover space to become populated by parked cars. As the site is the historic part of Porto it holds many significant buildings of interest and importance. Several churches populate the area that was once within the city walls along with the Cathedral of Porto. Next to the Cathedral are the bishop’s palace and a gallery of romantic art. Sao Joao theatre is another building of importance to both locals and tourists as well as Sao Bento train station.
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Site Analysis - UNESCO: UNESCO along with Porto Vivo carried out indepth research of the current state of Oporto and marked out areas of importance and interest in the development and future growth of Oporto. Map 1 shows the current dynamic nature of the area, with dynamic and active areas in green circles and less dynamic and sterile areas in red circles. Highlighted in yellow are the areas that have the potential to become more dynamic and active. Map 2 shows the proposed tourism strategy they have developed. Looking at the current, proposed and future potential sites of hotels for tourists to stay in the area (blue, cyan and purple). Current areas of commercial activity that would benefit tourists (green). Buildings and places of interest to tourists (brown, yellow, blue hatch and peach hatch), with the current and potential touristic routes noted (red and orange lines).
Unesco Research.1 - Characterisation of dynamic current
Unesco Research.2 - Proposal of tourism strategy 35
Site Analysis – UNESCO: Map 3 looks at the state of the urban fabric. Grey plots are buildings that have been or are under restoration, green shows buildings in good condition, yellow is buildings in fair condition, red buildings are in a state of decay and maroon buildings are in an advanced stage of decay. It is evident that too much of the urban fabric has been left to fall into such poor condition in such an important historic part of the city. Map 4 shows the characterisation in the state of art in the area. Structure unity is shown as red, while no structured unity is a dark red. Degraded set is dark blue, restored areas are purple, areas in recuperation are a light blue and commercial areas are shown as orange. Yellow areas where developed as part of the capital of culture in 2001.
Unesco Research.3 - State of Conservation
Unesco Research.4 - Characterisation of the state of art 36
Site Analysis – UNESCO: Map 5 looks at the public realm of the area and development of public spaces. Many of the spaces were developed during the 2001 capital of culture programme so need little if any intervention, these are shown in green. Areas that need a little more action in place are shown in yellow as middle level intervention. Areas shown as red are in need of deep intervention as they have been left in disrepair and are under used. Map 6 is similar to the state of conservation map but showing buildings with great public dimensions in dark blue hatch and areas of regeneration are shaded in light blue hatch. Dark blue lines show areas of buildings with historic and heritage value that have been neglected.
Unesco Research.5 - Proposal for public space
Unesco Research.6 - State of occupation 37
Site Analysis – UNESCO: Map 7 looks into the functional profile of the area, showing the various building uses such as craft workshops, traditional commerce, restaurants and bars/coffee shops within the urban fabric of vacant, decaying and buildings under rehabilitation. Map 8 looks into more detail of the multifunctional uses of building plots. Facilities are in pink, residential or red hatch, mix of both is a pink block with a red hatch. Commerce is light blue and commerce and housing shown in dark blue. Offices are light yellow and offices and residential are a darker yellow.
Unesco Research.7 - Functional profile
Unesco Research.8 - Occupation type 38
Site Analysis – UNESCO: Map 9 shows the buildings of significant buildings of cultural value. Orange buildings are national monuments; yellow buildings are of public interest highlighting the cultural importance of the area to Porto. Map 10 shows the conservation state of the roads, with green being in good condition, yellow in fair condition and red being in a state of decay and in need of repair, similar to the map showing public spaces. Public transport links such as bus stops, metro and train stations are also noted on the map, with public transport being integral to development of the area as a tourist destination. Unesco Research.9 - Buildings with outstanding universal value
Unesco Research.10 - Conservation state of roads 39
Site Analysis – UNESCO: Map 11 shows the general plan of activities within the site at present. Priority areas are highlighted with a dashed blue line. Areas with development approval are shown in green, areas with base document approval are shown in pink, and areas with base document in process are highlighted in orange while current work in progress or developed sites are blue. Map 12 shows the number of buildings in the area in an advanced stage of decay or with restoration works in process shown in grey in comparison with current residential buildings shown in red with other building functions shown in yellow. Unesco Research.11 - General plan of activities
Unesco Research.12 - Residential buildings 40
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Initial Ideas
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Initial Ideas - Pre-Porto Visit: During the early stages of our design development and prior to our visit to Porto we considered a wide range of possible interventions which we felt would enable us to realise our goal of preparing Porto for its imminent development into a key tourist destination. Initially our aims were: - To improve the city to promote and encourage tourism at both national and international levels - To create a series of well defined pedestrian friendly routes - To remove vehicular access from the historic centre - To build upon Porto’s existing array of festivals and fairs and to introduce a number of additional cultural events within the city -To create a series of linked public squares in which to hold such events The diagram to the right shows our initial strategy focusing on the removal of the road through the centre of our site and the introduction of a series of pedestrian friendly routes.
Right: Diagram outlining our Initial Ideas 45
The SĂŠ District: As part of our original proposal we intended to redevelop the high density housing of the SĂŠ District which we identified as being in poor condition. The area is renowned for its high levels of crime and drug use. We felt that it was important to address this area and its antisocial usage in addition to our proposed interventions. Our initial intentions were to transform the area from the poor area that it is at present into a thriving student area through the refurbishment and repurposing of the current slum housing into student housing. This, we hoped, would have been beneficial to the area as it would remove the drug and crime problems from the historic centre and would bring the youth population back to the city that have moved to the surrounding districts during the last 25 years. We were advised during the early stages of the project not to include this region within our proposal due to the fact that it is already subject to plans for future redevelopment as part of an attempt to stop urban decay through urban regeneration societies (SRU). Right: Photograph of the housing within the SĂŠ District of Porto. This area is adjacent to the Cathedral and at first glance appears pleasant however a visit to the area proved otherwise with the majority of properties being in a state of disrepair and the residents (mostly temporary) suffering from severe drug addiction problems. 46
Public Events and Festivals: During the formulation of our initial strategy we studied the existing festivals and activities which are held within Porto. Some of the key examples can be seen in the photographs on the right. We discovered that many events are held in Porto from small local markets to large international events and festivals. We proposed to build upon Porto’s existing array of festivals and fairs and to introduce a number of additional cultural events within the city and to create a series of linked public squares in which to hold such events. Whilst many of the aspects of our design strategy changed, after our visit to Porto, these became fundamental aims of our overall strategy particularly the creation of a series of linked public squares.
Top Left: Feira da Vandoma Top Right: Festa de São João do Porto Bottom Left: National Championship Cup Bottom Right: Marrakesh Square 47
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Design Development
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Design Development - Sketches: Our design intentions began to focus on the central core of the site at the Avenue Dom Afonso Henriques which currently cuts through the historic urban fabric. We aim to rebuild the urban fabric and stitch together the surrounding areas, returning the site to a similar density of how it used to be. Due to the metro line running through our site we have the problem of building on top of the tunnel, our solution was to create a pedestrian street where the current road lies, building up either side of the street creating activity and enclosure whilst giving a defining route through the site. Currently on the site stands a fish market and a series of roads and bridges that unnecessarily divide the Se district from the surrounding borough which are to be removed. In place of these will be a hotel, residential plots, mixed use plots of retail and residential, retail outlets that will create new routes and streets and a public building that will front a new pedestrian square. Through a series of sketches and investigation we developed a proposed layout for the site.
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Design Development – Massing: Using a massing model of the surrounding building heights allowed us to determine the ideal height of our proposed building heights. Having imposing buildings such as the Cathedral and Sao Bento train station give an idea of what the maximum building height for the area should be as we would not want our proposal to be imposing upon the existing fabric. Having these buildings also give a good indication of the size that our proposed public building should be. Using the model and proposed building blocks we could also develop a sense scale that would be created by the new streets. Further use of the model would see the development of contours to understand the site topography and the inclusion of pitched roofs would help understand the vernacular of the area.
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Design Development – Infrastructure: Our major intervention on the site will see the removal of a large piece of road network that is currently under used and causing a large division in the urban fabric, highlighted in orange. Highlighted in red are the existing building that are to be demolished allowing for the new proposed buildings highlighted in blue that will create new street scape and squares on the site.
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Precedents – Copenhagen: During the 1980’s Copenhagen noted how the impact of the car had led to the demise of public places and city living. A movement was made to remove cars from the city by restricting access and reducing parking spaces making life more difficult for the car user, instead encouraging people to cycle or use public transport. With fewer cars and more pleasant public spaces, Copenhagen has seen a significant rise in people cycling; squares and streets are more active with cafes and bars and various activities creating a more appealing and pleasant city lifestyle. By removing access of cars from our new proposed street tourists and residents will be able to walk freely and safely from Sao Bento train station to the waterfront without having to cross a road or dodge a parked car.
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Final Proposal
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Final Proposal: The focus of our urban design strategy shifted during its development to focus solely on the two key areas identified on the diagram on the right. These areas we felt required intervention to rebuild Porto’s urban fabric and to strengthen the links between the historic centre and the riverfront. This will be achieved through the creation of a new public route which forms a spine through the historic centre off which the other various areas of the city can be accessed and explored.
Right: Diagram outlining the two key focus areas 59
The primary objective of our Urban Design Strategy is: “To prepare Porto for transition into becoming a key centre for international tourism utilising a development strategy which emphasises its historic and cultural heritage and operates as a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the local economy, making Porto a vibrant place not just to visit but also to live, work and invest.” At the heart of the historic centre we are proposing to remove the road, rerouting traffic around the site. We then intend to introduce a number of new buildings to the area between Sao Bento Station and the Cathedral in an attempt to repair the urban fabric which was lost during the construction of the ‘Avenida da Ponte’. This will be achieved through the creation of a new street and square with strong, active edges. This we hope will increase pedestrian activity within the site and will provide a more legible streetscape for pedestrians. New buildings within the heart of the scheme will include a new public gallery, a hotel, apartments, offices and retail units. In the lower of the two focus areas we propose to introduce a new museum fronted by a public square. We also intend to continue the row of cafe/ restaurants along to the left of the bridge and replace the temporary structure to the right of the new museum with offices. Right: Masterplan Drawing in Context with New Pedestrian Routes indicated in grey, Proposed New Buildings indicated in White and Proposed Public Squares Indicated in Beige. 60
The diagram to the right indicates the interventions that we a proposing for the second of our key focus areas. This area of the scheme is intended to act as a ‘Gateway’ into the historic centre providing a sense of arrival to visitors who approach the historic centre from Gaia via the Ponte Dom Luis I or via our proposed series of public escalators which are shown on the plan. The public escalators are intended to provide an easier and more interesting route between the historic centre and the riverfront. They are intended to act as an alternative to the direct route offered by the funicular allowing pedestrians to get on an off the escalators at a series of key points along the route including the Santa Clara Church, a residential area, a proposed new public garden and the proposed new public square and museum.
Right: Diagram showing focus area 2. Key: 1. Proposed Site for the New Museum 2. Proposed Public Square 3. Proposed Public Garden 4. Proposed Cafés / Restaurants 5. Proposed Office Buildings 6. Proposed New Build with Rooftop Public Pathway 7. Proposed Viewing Platform 8. Proposed Public Escalator System 61
The aims of our Design Strategy are to: • Improve the international and public vision of Porto which has suffered as a result of the years of the neglect and decay that it has endured. • Create a strong network of streets, buildings and public spaces. • Address ‘dead spaces’ within the existing urban fabric with a view to improving security and minimising safety risks. • Increase activity in the town centre both during the day and in the evening through the creation of a series of linked mixed use public squares and green spaces with strong active edges. • Redevelop the existing gardens behind Santa Clara Church to create a new public green space. • Improve movement patterns and connectivity by making the town centre more legible through the creation of a series of clearly defined pedestrian routes. • Introduce a series of five public escalators to provide a mechanical link from the riverfront to the historic centre which will improve the North – South connectivity which at present is poor. • Re-route cars to facilitate the introduction of a new public square within the historic centre. • Through our regeneration and urban design strategy we aim to improve the area for the benefit of the local community as well as to encourage both national and international tourists. Portugal aim to considerably increase tourism over the next two years. As part of the initiative Porto, along with five other cities, have been selected to receive funding to help to achieve this goal. 3D Sketch showing the main pedestrian route through the scheme with new buildings indicated in red 62
Site Section: Sectional drawing through our site with our proposed new buildings interventions indicated in red.
Section A-A - 1:750 at A1
Above: Section A-A - Not To Scale 63
Precedents: We identified a number of precedents during the development of our urban design strategy which we felt related to and served to improve our strategy. Liverpool One, Liverpool, England: We have identified Liverpool One as a precedent because it is a successful pedestrian oriented network of streets and squares. As part of the Liverpool One development Paradise Street was pedestrianised providing pedestrians with the freedom to safely wander through the development. This is something we aim to achieve through the removal of the road running through our site. Liverpool One is a successful mixed use development containing a mix of retail, accommodation and leisure. Our scheme shares similarities in this respect. The area which we are proposing to develop is surrounded by residential, retail and civic use buildings and our proposed new buildings will include additional residential buildings, a hotel, retail/cafĂŠ, and also an International Street Arts Centre which will be a mixed use building that will be accessible to the public. It will offer galleries, exhibition spaces, performance spaces and conference facilities. It is also our intention to line our proposed street and square with buildings that have active frontages to engage the public as they explore and pass through the space. This is something we feel Liverpool One achieves very successfully. Top: Photographs Showing the Pedestrianisation at the Corner of Paradise Street Bottom: Photographs Showing the Active Shop Frontages within Liverpool One 64
Within our scheme we propose to link up a series of existing and proposed public squares and green space which will be used to host events primarily linking with the International Street Arts Centre. Chavasse Park which forms part of the Liverpool One development was studied during our early development stages as it is regularly used to host a range of seasonal and one off events within the city forming another similarity to our proposal. Our scheme does have a number of differences to the Liverpool One development in that it is not predominantly a retail development and whilst Liverpool One does attract tourists it primarily serves the residents from Liverpool and the surrounding region whereas our primary objective is to provide facilities that will attract both national and international tourists to the city. Another key difference is the fact that the streets within the Liverpool One development are controlled by the Grosvenor Group. The streets within our scheme will remain public and will not be subject to any external ownership.
Top Left: Photograph of Chavasse Park during ‘Proms in the Park’ Top Right: Photograph Showing the Crowds Enjoying the Big Screen in Chavasse Park Bottom Left: Photograph Showing Members of the Public Using the Steps to Chavasse Park Bottom Right: Photograph Showing Visitors in Chavasse Park 65
Perugia, Italy: We began looking at Perugia, Italy as a precedent as it has a well established system of public escalators which provide an easy method of negotiating its steep topography which is similar to that of Porto. The escalator system in Perugia is primarily aimed at tourists, as ours will be, and provides a link between its regenerated areas and its historic areas. The escalators have proven to be a very successful link from the lower town to the upper town. The system effectively integrates new technology within the existing historic context and takes you through the remains of a 16th century fortress, Rocca Paolina, and through a series of medieval streets before you arrive in the Piazza Italia. The intention of the escalator system is to take people on a journey through the city which becomes a tourist experience rather than simply a direct link between the two areas of the city. Our system is also intended to provide tourists with an interesting experience and series of views.
Right: Photographs Showing the Public Escalator System in Perugua, Italy 66
Medellin, Colombia: We also identified Medellin, Colombia as a key precedent for our escalator system. Works began in 2011 to build a series of public escalators which provide a mechanical link between the slums and the section of town which is at a much higher level. The escalator system replaces the staircases which were previously the only route up the hillside and were the equivalent of climbing to the top of a 28 storey building. The newly constructed escalator system shares a number of similarities with our proposed system in that it provides a means of travelling up the very steep hillside to the town above. The topography of Medellin is similar to that of Porto and the route which the escalators take through a series of winding narrow streets is also comparable. The system in place in Medellin is comprised of six escalators which provide key links to the residential communities along the route and allow for people to join or disembark from the escalators at a series of convenient points. Our system will consist of five escalators and will provide the various links listed earlier. The differences between the system in place in Medellin to both our proposed escalator system and the system in place in Perugia are that it is intended primarily for use by the local residents rather than for tourists. The system is reported to have been a major success cutting down journey times from 35 minutes to 6 minutes and has had a positive impact on the lifestyles of residents. Right: Photographs Showing the Public Escalator System in Medellin, Colombia 67
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Cost Appraisal
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Outline Cost Appraisal: Demolition Costs Building Type Houses Covered Market Restaurant Derelict Buildings Construction Costs Building Type Apartments Retail (Small Shop Shells) Hotel (Mid Range) Café / Restaurants Cultural Buildings (National Standard Museum Figures)
Volume (m3) Cost/m3 @ £17 360 £17.00 1044 £17.00 8280 £17.00 2080 £17.00
Total No. of Floors 2 1 3 2 12
Total Cost £6,120 £17,748.00 £140,760.00 £35,360.00 £199,988.00
Area M2 Min Cost Per M2 Min Total Cost Max Cost Per M2 Max Total Cost Average Cost Per M2 Average Total Cost (£) 2775 £980.00 £2,719,500.00 £2,025.00 £5,619,375.00 £1,502.50 £4,169,437.50 2625 £520.00 £1,365,000.00 £650.00 £1,706,250.00 £585.00 £1,535,625.00 2700 £1,300.00 £3,510,000.00 £1,650.00 £4,455,000.00 £1,475.00 £3,982,500.00 720 £1,150.00 £828,000.00 £1,450.00 £1,044,000.00 £1,300.00 £936,000.00 3716 £4,250.00 £15,793,000.00 £5,300.00 £19,694,800.00 £4,775.00 £20,293,750.00 £30,917,312.50
Public Realm Seeded and Planted Areas Paving (River Washed Cobble)
Area M2
Street Furniture Benches (Hardwood and Precast Concrete) Bins (Precast Concrete and Hardwood Slatted) Cycle Stands
Quantity
1500 7086
Min Cost Per M2 Min Total Cost Max Cost Per M2 Max Total Cost Average Cost Per M2 Average Total Cost (£) £3.80 £5,700.00 £65.00 £97,500.00 £34.40 £51,600.00 £90.94 £644,400.84 £109.01 £772,444.86 £99.98 £708,458.28
60 30 50
Min Cost Per Unit Min Total Cost Max Cost Per Unit Max Total Cost Average Cost Per Unit Average Total Cost (£) £820.00 £49,200.00 £1,075.00 £64,500.00 £947.50 £56,850.00 £150.00 £4,500.00 £200.00 £6,000.00 £175.00 £5,250.00 £36.00 £1,800.00 £46.00 £2,300.00 £41.00 £2,050.00 £824,208.28
Public Escalators Escalator 1 (8m rise) Escalator 2 (8m rise) Escalator 3 (8m rise) Escalator 4 (8m rise) Escalator 5 (16m rise)
Quantity 1 1 1 1 1
Min Cost Per Unit Min Total Cost Max Cost Per Unit Max Total Cost Average Cost Per Unit Average Total Cost (£) £130,000.00 £130,000.00 £168,000.00 £168,000.00 £149,000.00 £149,000.00 £130,000.00 £130,000.00 £168,000.00 £168,000.00 £149,000.00 £149,000.00 £130,000.00 £130,000.00 £168,000.00 £168,000.00 £149,000.00 £149,000.00 £130,000.00 £130,000.00 £168,000.00 £168,000.00 £149,000.00 £149,000.00 £240,000.00 £240,000.00 £300,000.00 £300,000.00 £270,000.00 £270,000.00 £866,000.00
Figures taken from Spon's Architects' and Builders' Pricebook 2012 for 30° escalator; 0.50 m/sec; enamelled steel glass balustrades Pricing Comparison Based on Medellin Precedent Length (m) Medellin Escalators Our Proposed Escalator System
384.05 90
Cost (£) £3,705,143.36 unknown
To work out the equivalent cost of our system the length of the system in Medellin would be divided by the length of our system so: 384.05 /90 = 4.267 The cost of the system in Medellin would then be divided by 4.267 to give an equivalent cost for our proposed system so: 3705143.36/4.267 = £868,325.13 This figure is only £2,325.13 more than our estimate using the figures from Spon's Price Book
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CDP Proposals
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CDP Proposals: In the heart of the site the public building will be a museum that will exhibit temporary exhibitions. Next to the museum on the street leading towards the train station will be housing and working units for artists to come an use while developing piece of work to be exhibited at the gallery. Above the live work units will be a communal garden linked to the museum that could be used to house temporary pavilions and installations. In front of the building will be a public square that will be sunken from the surrounding road and have active frontages from the surrounding buildings, either bars/cafes or shops. Above the retail units and surrounding the outside of the development will be residential units, this will bring a mix of tourists and locals to the area creating diversity and interest. To support the tourists will be a hotel at the bottom of the site towards the Cathedral. The views along the street show a clear route from Sao Bento to the waterfront, with the gallery slightly protruding on the space to show its importance and generate interest.
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Proposed Building – Motion Picture Museum of Porto The Site – Location of the existing 1960’s Chinese Restaurant which has a footprint of 329 m2 Client – City of Porto The site forms the gateway to the historic centre acting as a threshold whilst providing pedestrians with a sense of arrival. The building will include: - A central foyer which will act as the heart of the museum and will provide access to the exhibition spaces and theatres. - A series of exhibition spaces in which both permanent and temporary collections will be exhibited dedicated to the production of motion pictures. - A series of small lecture halls / digital exhibition spaces in which independent movies could be screened. - A historic film archive - Bookshop - Café / Bar - Public Square fwhich can be used during the International Film Festivals as an open air cinema.
Top Left: Aerial Photograph with Focus Area Outlined in Red Top Right: Photograph Taken From Gaia Side of the River Indicating Proposed Building Plot Bottom Left & Right: Photographs Indicating Proposed Building Plot and Focus Area 76
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