LOCALIZATION
Martim Moniz Square, Lisbon, Portugal
TYPE
Public Square
YEAR
2023
AREA
35.000 m2
The redevelopment of Martim Moniz Square is an opportunity for urban transformation and innovation. Based on an understanding of the challenges affecting access to and proper utilization of the square and, above all, on what the civic debate has revealed about the future of the square, the core principle of the proposed solution is the expansion of the pedestrian space and a definition of a new inclusive, healthy, resilient, safe, accessible and multifunctional center. We propose the adaptive (re)use of the entire intervention area, conceptualized as a Garden, open to the city and all its users, which prioritizes the experience of walking and contemplation. The final form of the square and its surroundings results from overlapping this green organic layer with the continuity of the urban tissue developing in a north-south direction, emphasizing the concept of public space as an integral element of the centrality defining Martim Moniz square.
The proposed design of the square emerged from an analysis of the local context, emphasizing the morphological features of the pre-existing urban framework which, integrating historical and heritage identity, resulted in a new sense of place, prioritizing the creation of a large green area. The concept of new urban character of this location will thus be associated with the idea of the place, changing the actual usage of the space from a “passage” to a “stay”, representing the role of public space as a unifying element, integrating the centrality of Martim Moniz square, the peripheral microcentres, that are also a part of the proposal, and connections between them.
The idea behind the proposal rises from the aspiration to strengthen the local connections, bringing the two hills closer together with a strong pedestrian connection across the square, and bringing this idea on a broader scale by reconciling it with the structural axis of Avenida Almirante Reis, as part of the city’s ecological and cycling network. The project also aimed to prepare the area for the future as a car-free zone, emphasizing the promotion of sustainable mobility and an efficient public transport system.
The objective was to maintain the continuity of the city’s ecological network, placing value on the ecosystem, promoting biodiversity, and fostering connections between green areas, the built environment, and shared spaces (both for road and pedestrian circulation). These actions potentially could bring environmental benefits, such as improved air quality and its circulation, temperature control, and noise suppression.
In addition to enhanced accessibility and connectivity with the surrounding area, the sense of community also results from the combination of complementary uses and activities with the image and aesthetics of the space, which is presented with a new sense of unity and continuity. This attractiveness results from the programme’s diversity, which will promote different socio-urban dynamics, a greater diversity of ways of using and appropriating these spaces and interaction between groups and individuals from different backgrounds.