Cruz do Montalvão Urban Park

Castelo Branco, Portugal 2016 (Lost Competition)

The proposal for the Urban Park Cruz Montalvão can be synthetized into three main points: methodological, since the place has such a topographic condition that the transformation is no more than little adjustments; programmatic, assuming urban art as the central theme, including mural art, sculpture, cinema and theatre, performative arts, music; ecological, considering all the green covering as the matrix, to be integrated on the new systems, preserved in such a way that the construction disturbances only occur over the new built areas.
In this way, the park as a whole is assumed as a ground for autonomous or organized activities, but some nuclear spots are formalized:
_ the Art Hangars, on a central area of the park, are composed by four hangars/ateliers, each focused on different raw materials for artistic works.
_ the Cine Theatre, uses the existing stone tier of benches as the upper part of its audience and a paved yard is used to set different structures as movie screens, stages, a skating rink;
_ the Amphitheatre takes advantage of the main hill and the convergence of two remaining walls, nesting on the land. Due to exceptional acoustic conditions, it is a space for music and dance.
_ the Festival Venue, connected with the Amphitheatre, spreads along the valley, a big lawn, easily closed to allow entrances control, this will be a place for big events, of numerous public.
_ The Wetland Botanical Garden recreates the systems of four swamps of the centre of Portugal, under a pedagogical and ludic perspective. Its main path should link this park with the existing Urban Park, under the avenue that separates them.
_ the Promenade, along the 1st May avenue, establishes a buffer made by five rows of perennial trees, creating a truly staying area which is the main door of the Park.
_ the Coffee Shop on the street Prof Maria Amália Fevereiro is also an entrance, once it allows the transition of levels, between the street and the Park, offering, at the same time, an interior space of cafeteria and a terrace over the Park.