The site under study is part of the Serrinha Urbanization Plan, Rebordosa, where the City Council plans to build a multi-purpose exhibition park to publicize the city’s business activities in order to make business dynamics more competitive and that the City Hall intends to provide support and continuity in a strategic vision, with a broad influence beyond the territorial limits of the municipality of Paredes.

The Project defines an architectural solution with a vision of a building that, in addition to the strictly functional sense of a multipurpose business exhibition park, enables symbolic communication capable of being an important reference in communication and in adhering to environmental quality concerns, landscape and urban integration of the municipality of Paredes, in a contemporary perspective.

With the conception of this Project, it is intended to obtain a functional space that structures and values ​​an entire business area that the plan envisages and that is intended to be in fact the driving force of the high potential that this Municipality has been showing posible.

Da morfologia e da topografia do terreno apreende-se a aparente (des)organização deste território, carregado de diferentes arquiteturas, de diferentes unidades, de diferentes tempos, escalas, símbolos e organizações.

Agora solicita-se um novo edifício, com novas funções com novas racionalidades e sobretudo com objetivos específicos a cumprir: ligar, racionalizar e fasear parecem ser as palavras de ordem para o seu desenho e às quais acrescentamos identidade, flexibilidade e capacidade de se associar e de se transformar, no presente e no futuro. 

O novo edifício central denominado apresenta-se como um espaço de acolhimento e de ligação, um elemento que estrutura o edificado existente dando-lhe uma unidade funcional, formal e de articulação com todas as diferentes unidades e serviços adjacentes. É por isso um elo essencial de toda uma cadeia de atividades e de serviços que integram o todo que é hoje o pensamento de uma unidade hospitalar. Nessa medida o edifício procura evidenciar essa variedade, apresentando-se como um algo que se adapta e se transforma, uma célula viva aberta à regeneração e à permanente alteração, sugerindo movimento e diferenciação.

Partindo da premissa de aproveitamento máximo dos edifícios existentes, com um investimento controlado, o objetivo desta intervenção é criar espaços comerciais e de serviços que sirvam primariamente os utentes regulares das principais linhas de Metro, bem como da nova travessia pedonal que permitirá, pela primeira vez, um acesso qualificado à Zona Industrial de Ramalde, Porto.

Num terreno de forma regular, de ocupação longitudinal, optou-se por uma intervenção contida nos edifícios existentes, focando o ónus da intervenção na área exterior, criando um espaço de partilha, que convide à ocupação e à vivência, reinventando-se assim a memória do próprio espaço. Decorrente da necessidade de união entre a estação de Metro e a Zona Industrial do Porto, partiu-se da preposição da criação de um acesso coberto que atravessasse todo o lote.

The initial design proposal for his manufacturer of faucets (CIFIAL) began with the structural conception of neutrality and constructive efficiency. This became a mode of operation for the entire project. The single volume tries to integrate all the needs and demands of the production areas and social areas, optimising the accesses and minimizing the distribution circuits.

Situated in a partially completed industrial estate, it didn’t seem necessary to establish references to the context, nor to the prefabricated units still existing on the site. They were not a factor capable of inspiring any kind of architectural or referential starting point. There is no evident relationship between the interior and exterior of the project, and this separation superimposes the autonomy of the place.

The building works like a compact, single volume, continuous and never ending, without place yet sensitive to the events that occur at the accesses, the loading-bays, the entrances, the exits, and conscious and almost weary of the expressive machines and communication links. Without “creative” drawing architecture is created, where its identity denies anonymity and results from a direct and permanent confrontation between content and contender. In response to this confrontation, the volume expresses itself as continuous, while the machines, the infrastructures, the vacuum cleaners, the technical places, become symbolic in theirs permanence. Therefore the place becomes specific to the whole program thar justifies its design.

The entrance is set in a corner of the volume, almost breaking its formal unit, but emphasizing its location in a volume without references. The accesses and layout of interior space are organized according to the production method. Next to the main entrance, there are two service entrances and discharges and one transportation hanger. Inside, the building is divided along a longitudinal axis, separating the production and administrative zones. The latter is organised into three different blocks: reception, administration, and personnel. The corridor that joins them actually unites them. The structure is a steel portal frame, supporting the roof and outer corrugated metallic cladding; the administrative zones inside are constructed from reinforced concrete with brick cladding.