URBAN PROJECT OF THE BENFICA STATION SURROUNDING AREA José Miguel Camilo de Matos Santos Pereira Extended Abstract
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to expose the strategies drawn to answer the exercise given in the Final Project subject, throughout the school year 2011/2012, fifth year of Masters in Architecture. The project was divided in two distinctive phases: First, the analysis and drawing of the territory to the city s scale and a second phase at a closer scale, with other kinds of characteristics. The first phase integrated an analysis of Lisbon s North-West Ring. A strategy was traced and its main axes were redefined, envisaging the creation of a consolidated urban tissue, offering alternatives to the actual axis. In a second approach the areas of intervention in this newly drawn axis were defined. One of these areas was the connection from this axis to the Calhariz de Benfica followed by its connection with the Forrestal Park of Monsanto (known as Parque Florestal de Monsanto). Here, the main objective was integrating this neighborhood with the rest of the city. For this, the formulation of a strategy was needed a transposition of the barrier created by the railway, to then redesign the entire evolving area. In addition to the challenge represented by the transposition of this barrier, it was also necessary to restructure and requalify the Calhariz de Benfica neighborhood, so that the integration with the rest of the city became more natural and fluid. From the North side of the railway, a new square is proposed, serving as a support to the station, redrawn at two levels, being this way capable of serving the station as well as allowing access to the upper passage. Also under an investigation method, at a project s level and analytical, three cases were studied related to spaces evolving railway stations, permitting this way that better conclusions were drawn, regarding the choices taken and its integration with the actual reality. For a better understanding of these elements which guarantee the transposition of a barrier and for a deeper perception on the urban emptiness caused by these transpositions, a reflection and theoretical investigation was done regarding these themes, trying this way to explore the characteristics of a project like this one to its maximum. 1
METHODOLOGY The following paper was structured in chapters for a clearer organization and understanding of the theme. The chapters are as follows: DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS: In this chapter, a theoretical exploration on the themes studied in the following chapters is done, as well as the investigation of the project s concept. Case studies are again examined, in further analyses as well as along the project. ANALYSIS OF THE FIELD STUDY: In the chapter which analyses the field of study, a historical framework is done, very much focused in the area of intervention of the project, so that the evolution of this territory could be perceived. Further on, a very deep analysis of the territory is undertaken, where four main factors are taken into account: the morphology of the territory, the organization of green spaces, the study of mobility and the building structure. The area in study is the township of Benfica with an approximate area of 1.5km. This area is delimited South with the knot of Buraca, North with the Estrada de Benfica, West with the Santa Cruz neighborhood and East with the Avenida do Colégio Militar. In order to intervene in a city, a profound knowledge must be inherent. A small alteration in a city s path affects the entire surroundings and therefore an extreme care and understanding are necessary when projecting at an urban scale. The idea is to go through a historical contextualization focused on the intervention area of the project. 2
PRESENTING THE PROPOSAL: The problematic proposed, under the Final Project subject, was a critical reflection and definition of an urban strategy for the North-West Ring of the city of Lisbon, with special incidence to the regions of Benfica, Carnide and Pontinha. The paper was done during the school year of 2011/2012, divided into two distinct parts. PHASE 1: Urban revitalization of Lisbon s North-West Ring This stage was done practically through the entire first semester of 2011/2012. It consisted in doing an analysis, working in group, of the field of study, in order to understand all of the territory s components, from its urban and road organization to its green spaces. This analysis conducted to various conclusions and a revitalization of this entire area was presented. Road Network Concerning the road network, the proposal focused mainly in the routes hierarchization, which does not exist at the moment. Nowadays, this territory is essentially marked by the presence of large routes, such as the 2a Circular or Avenida da Lusíada. These are not submitted to any hierarchy, assuming different roles, having nonetheless similar characteristics. Green Structure The idea of reformulating the routes and the main axes coincided with the intention of creating an alternative path, more comfortable and environment-friendly. This being, the Parque Florestal de Monsanto gained a whole new, vital relevance throughout the project. Building Structure Although the area under observation is one of the most populated in Lisbon, the building structure is not clear. The constant emptiness and the non-existent connection between the constructed mesh cause a disruption and the examination of space becomes ambiguous. 3
PHASE 2: URBAN PROJECT FOR THE STATION AND CALHARIZ DE BENFICA The second phase, done with the first phase as its basis, was developed individually and every member of the group selected a more specific area to interpret at a different scale. This first approach requires a more detailed reading of the urban organization, always keeping in mind the main idea, which is the requalification of the Monsanto-Telheiras axis. The area chosen for this project was the Benfica/Calhariz de Benfica because it is a potential area, being a common point to many routes as well as a conflict point to different urban axes. This project seeks to solve this conflict, proposing more qualified spaces and new situations of urban continuity. With the transposition of the railway, a large part of the objective is accomplished because when integrating the Calhariz de Benfica neighborhood in the city, the urban continuity between Monsanto and Benfica is then guaranteed. Building and station square: Considering the great role the station represents in Benfica s context, defining it as a primary and connecting space towards the Parque Florestal de Monsanto must become clearer. A redrawing of the station square is suggested, with a new building symbolizing it. A redefinition of the accesses to the platform as well as the urban passages is done, as much as it is permitted to an element of this nature. 4
Urban Park: Integrating the Parque Florestal de Monsanto into the city makes it essential to create a qualified green space in the North of the railway. The urban park presented assures the connection between the station and the Rua Morais Sarmento contoured by a new road traced to allow a greater liaison between the evolving areas with the station. Reorganization of the road system: Turning the routes hierarchyzed is an aspect present since the beginning of the proposal and is materialized into a highway knot which organizes traffic fluxes, unifying all small knots existing in this territory. This knot guaranteed the connection of the railway, the accesses to the 2a Circular and keeps up the connection between Rua da Venezuela and Rua Carolina Michaelis de Vasconcelos fluid. 5
Access to the IPL: One of the premises of this assignment was the integration of the campus Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa with the city. This territory, if connected and opened to the entire city, brings many advantages in the design of the city because it allows a great continuity in spaces, establishing important links in its area of influence. Revitalization of the Calhariz de Benfica: The revitalization of this neighborhood becomes crucial for the interpreting the Monsanto-Telheiras axis as it is the starting point towards connecting with the forestall park. The usages diversity planned for this region also intends on qualifying the neighborhood, facilitating its integration into the city. 6
NEW ROAD KNOT Clarifying the road structure was the first step taken towards a total reorganization of the territory. This area s greatest problem was the articulation between routes of different hierarchical levels, with no rules settled. To offer a solution, a road knot which absorbs all connections was suggested, allowing a more balanced distribution of the fluxes. 7
TRANSITION ELEMENT IN DETAIL The element of transition, which consists in two squares through access to the station and through aerial passage is something which marks the landscape where it is integrated because it has the capacity of invading a vast area around it. Although it is a punctual element, it transforms the entire environment around, causing a qualified emptiness in a densely building area. Under this element, it is possible to analyze the various functions it plays, from a transports interface to an urban tie, punctuated by two well defined squares. 8
CONCLUSION The report here presented seeks to develop at a broader level a project undertaken along the school year of 2011/2012, for the Final Project subject. The project focused on the reorganization of the entire North-West Ring in Lisbon, field study which is eligible in the reality we are living in and done according to the strategies in development at the present moment. This is a positive aspect of this assignment, because being integrated in an academic dimension takes us into a reflection of real problems and concrete cases, as well as focusing on a territory which is easily accessible for all those working on it. All reflections done on this work, both a priori and a posteriori, contributed for a better perception of space, of intervention measures and the consequences a new proposal may have in the specific space. It may be that this report, done right after the project, has not permitted that the proposal matured enough to a new examination if the intervention. Nevertheless, it allowed a detailed explanation of all aspects of the project. The research and analysis done during the Project contributed for its development and elaboration, having been crucial for specific aspects of the proposal. On the other hand, elements gathered after executing the project, specially the analysis of case studies, helped understanding how it would have been to adapt the project to reality. This was possible due to the fact that projects with similar characteristics to the project were observed. 9