Estat previ
Immediately prior to this intervention, the Seixal municipal administration offices were removed from the historic centre due to construction of the new central building that combines all of the departments previously spread across the old city. The demographic growth of the last 40 years occurred in the southernmost areas, near the motorway intersections, in the parishes of Amora and Arrentela. In contrast, the traditional centre has been aging, both in terms of population and infrastructures, such as the buildings. The public space reflects precisely this contradiction: to be the political centre of the municipality in a parish that has become peripheral to the main population clusters it represents. Poorly served by public transport, its urban space has been occupied by the automobiles of municipal officials. Mobilizing political power to respond to the urban problems of the rapidly growing clusters has diminished the symbolic value of the historic core, which had unintentionally been left to cursory management lacking a long term vision. The construction of the municipality’s central building, about 1km further south, was considered an opportunity to rethink the role of the old centre, enhancing the historic relationship with the river in the magnificent bay of Seixal. Reorganizing the urban public space, its significance and functionality, was seen as a strategic action towards that purpose.Objecte de la intervenció
Overall, the aim of the intervention was to create the material conditions to reintegrate the old centre into the urban strip of settlements and natural spaces that make up the city of Seixal. The expectation of the stakeholders is that the area will be able to attract users and residents, which will impact private investment in the refurbishment of the old buildings. More specifically, the aims defined for the intervention were as follows: - To create a stretch of riverfront for pedestrians and cyclists to use and have contact with the river; - To redesign the road accesses and parking facilities in order to preserve the historic centre, access to buildings and the area’s boundaries; - To improve the different collective spaces that exist along the riverside belt, namely the Largo 1º de Maio and Praça da República, as well as Jardim do Seixal; - To implement accessibility solutions in compliance with legal standards; - To increase the presence of natural elements and planted areas; - To mitigate the impact of seasonal flooding by improving drainage infrastructures and increasing permeable soil surfaces and vegetation.Descripció
The project site is a 2.1-hectare strip of land running parallel to the riverside avenue in Seixal, the main town of the municipality of Seixal, on the south bank of the Tagus River, across from Lisbon. The site is bordered by the river and the town’s historic centre, whose buildings have symbolic and morphological characteristics that make it a unique asset in terms of heritage and culture. Changes in the riverfront’s organic design over the years have led to prominences and indentations along the riverbank. This geometric growth of the old town enabled the construction of a route with distinctive physical features, creating different types of contact with the water and different boundaries inside the old centre. The previous car park is replaced by a green recreational area that reaches as far as the riverbank, creating a new square with planted, shaded and open areas, and freeing up space to accommodate the structures required for cultural events. The redesigned traffic system reduces car traffic without completely eliminating it. The plan creates areas with one-way systems as well as zones reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. Our intention was to synthesize the new elements to be introduced in three types of surface: new pavements in ceramic brick, with an artisanal character, capable of resisting pedestrian, cycle and automobile circulation; organic areas, in the zones subject to greater expansion, making land modelling or turf surfaces possible; and limestone sidewalk borders consistent with the existing pavements.Valoració
The project team was responsible for the general design of the overall site, public areas and green spaces, for coordinating speciality projects and technical site supervision. This was a very challenging project to build due to financial constraints that arose during the economic crisis that led to an external bailout in 2011. The project was suspended between 2012 and 2015. Construction works were also difficult mainly because of the underground infrastructure works. The soil type close to the river and archaeological findings slowed down construction and demanded changes to the project. These delays, along with the magnitude of the site, disturbed the senior population and local retailers. Nonetheless, our perception is that the local population supported the project from the outset. Several public assemblies were organized during the project’s conception phase and when it was resumed in 2015. Most participants expressed anxiety regarding the future of the old town and hope that the intervention would reverse the perceived decline. Construction was completed in the end of 2017, therefore it is still too early to evaluate the outcome of this urban project. However, the first signs of use of the space by citizens are positive, and private investment in building regeneration is beginning.[Darrera actualització: 10/04/2019]
