A Lisbon Story

Nautical School 

 

Working with a site located next to the Tagus river in Lisbon, my strategy was to maintain the view of the horizon and continuity of the ground by creating a plaza and an underground building. The program caters towards a boat house and sailing school for all ages.The plaza is covered by a large canopy that touches the ground with two points. The canopy is perforated in the center to bring light into the plaza. Due to its large size and since the site is situated in an industrial area I felt it was appropriate to have a steel structure. The plaza creates a flexible space for the children to run around, set up the boats, and for public activity to happen by the water front. The canopy frames the view and the ramps that lead to the underground building define the plaza. The building underground is characterized by a 6m wide corridor that allows for the gathering of people and the movement of boats in and out of the building. It is enclosed with a system of perforated metal pivots that can be opened and close to control the privacy of the spaces. They are fixed in certain areas and operable in others. The pivots can be rotated in order to accommodate for the movement of the boats. There are three main openings that bring light underground and the spaces are arranged around them. The programs that require less light were placed in the center. One side of the corridor is lined with public programs- the pool, auditorium and library. The other side has training rooms, changing rooms and boats storage areas that are directly linked to the ramp which is connected to the water.

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