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Architects: Tiago Figueiredo, Álvaro Siza Vieira
- Area: 360 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Pedro Cardigo
Text description provided by the architects. I was invited to this project by Metro do Porto and, initially, I did not accept because I understood that the basic layout would leave the avenue with only one lane for automobiles and I disagreed with the proposal for a roundabout at the junction of Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa with Av. da Boavista.
Later, we were informed that the metro line would be shared with other buses and cars, and that a new roundabout would no longer be built, maintaining the linear axis of Av. da Boavista all the way to the sea.
At the same time, the Serralves Foundation expressed interest in having me accept the design of the station since it is located in its nearby surroundings, in front of the existing wall surrounding the Serralves gardens and museum.
We therefore accepted the project, requesting that it extend to include the three stations: Serralves, João de Barros, and Império, proposing their location along Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa, situated among the existing trees in the central green space and connected by a pedestrian path made of gravel.
This was the executed project, which is now practically completed.
The particular unified atmosphere of Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa, with a low-density residential program throughout, led to the decision not to consider the stations and shelters with the usual metal and glass solution, but to opt for a design in which the stations are integrated and relate to this urban context.
Particular care was taken with the central pedestrian path and its connection to the three stations, the landscaping, and its variations.
Porto, December 9, 2024
Álvaro Siza
