Metro do Porto, linha de requalificação

Abstract

Building a sixty kilometre extension metro in an existing city could completely disqualify it, as its technical infrastructures alone, such as rail posts, lighting, publicity panels, electric cables, rubbish containers, inspection boxes, the stations and the vandalism acts associated of them, noise, surrounding traffic flow, can cause a considerable impact. These factors were taken in to account when considering the viability of this project in a town like Porto, its dark and narrow roads, and its granite soil made it doubtful whether the metro project would be viable or not. However, thanks to the architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, what was thought to be discouraging factors turned out to be possibilities, the possibility of renovation, restructuring, requalification of the city. He understood that the Metro of Porto would not be simply a new mode of transport that would better the cityâ??s mobility, but it would be a justification to prequalify a stagnated city. Itâ??s here, in the transformation of premeditated problems, that architecture assumes its roll and duty in creating a new urban image, of Porto as well as its Metropolitan Area. Accepting the rail line as the structural axis of intervention, squares were re-qualified, gardens were redesigned, the avenues straightened, as well as other renovations. The implementation of the metro permitted the improvement of the public space.

Building a sixty kilometre extension metro in an existing city could completely disqualify it, as its technical infrastructures alone, such as rail posts, lighting, publicity panels, electric cables, rubbish containers, inspection boxes, the stations and the vandalism acts associated of them, noise, surrounding traffic flow, can cause a considerable impact. These factors were taken in to account when considering the viability of this project in a town like Porto, its dark and narrow roads, and its granite soil made it doubtful whether the metro project would be viable or not. However, thanks to the architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, what was thought to be discouraging factors turned out to be possibilities, the possibility of renovation, restructuring, requalification of the city. He understood that the Metro of Porto would not be simply a new mode of transport that would better the cityâ??s mobility, but it would be a justification to prequalify a stagnated city. Itâ??s here, in the transformation of premeditated problems, that architecture assumes its roll and duty in creating a new urban image, of Porto as well as its Metropolitan Area. Accepting the rail line as the structural axis of intervention, squares were re-qualified, gardens were redesigned, the avenues straightened, as well as other renovations. The implementation of the metro permitted the improvement of the public space.