Latente Contumil: un nuevo concepto de espacio escenográfico

Latente Contumil.

A new concept of scenographic space.

Porto was named European Capital of Culture in 2001. A great opportunity for the definitive takeoff of the city, positioning Porto in the spotlight of the cultural vanguard of the European continent, and by extension of the rest of the world. This strategy will have as its first direct consequence the substantial improvement in the lives of the inhabitants of the city and its area of influence.

Since that anniversary, the city’s cultural environment has been growing and incorporating more and more contemporary events, however, despite significant cultural development, the spaces dedicated to the implementation of such development have not evolved at the same rate. The spaces that currently exist are spaces conceived for the realization of cultural activities with a classic scenography, lacking the versatility and dynamism that is required to be able to celebrate cultural activities of the 21st century.

Once this deficiency has been detected, what is proposed is the creation of a new concept of scenographic space that breaks with the classic models, a space adaptable to current and future situations, that is transformed according to the needs of the city. In short, a project directed towards the future and the limitless development of the cultural dimension of Porto.

Latente Contumil is a scenographic project located in the Contumil station itself. A project of hybridization and duality of two visions. On the one hand, the railway world, on the other, the world of scenography, art and culture. A new performing arts center made up of a total of 3 harbor cranes, aligned on the chosen margin of the station. Accompanied by railways, roads and old repair warehouses that will be reused to generate the different uses that are required.

The port crane is used as the structural basis of the project due to its connection with the memory of the place, its large scale and complexity. It is a dynamic structure, changing and adaptable to circumstances, allowing the generation of all kinds of new stage experiences. The different pieces that define the space are placed on the cranes. They are pieces of various qualities, materialities, uses and personalities, which together generate the coherence and essence of the scenographic space.

In this space there is neither public nor private. The roles are subverted, so that actors, musicians, artists ... together with the audience, all become protagonists, forming part of the same scene.

The essence of the project is the creation of a multidisciplinary and flexible performing arts center, which adapts to the changes in the art and culture of the growing Porto. A space where the railway world and Contumil’s memory are hybridized, through a new world for scenography.

Year 2019-2020 Type Master thesis, PFC Location Contumil, Porto Tutor Alberto Nicolau - Cátedra Lapuerta, ETSAM. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Use technics/programs AutoCAD, Rhinoceros, Illustrator, Photoshop, SAP2000, After effects, Adobe Premiere Pro.