This scheme has been developed in response to a study into the works of Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, and introduces a series of agricultural landscapes and market facilities to an underutilised site in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, along the bank of the River Douro, a site which currently presents very little cultural value. The overarching aim of the project is to lay the foundation for social and cultural interaction between local people and visitors to the city, as well as provide equal access to the cultivation and exchange of produce. The second focus of the scheme is the introduction of a new restaurant building, which replaces the existing structures of little architectural merit with a piece of architecture that places itself thoroughly amongst the Portuguese vernacular.
Siza’s works are rooted in the places they exist, and contribute to their locality. This sentiment should be applied to the given site, which does not currently achieve this.
