Reuse and musealization of port infrastructure in urban waterfronts.

The Lisbon Case

José M P Sánchez
Architect and PhD Candidate in the Hafencity University - Hamburg
jose.sanchez@hcu-hamburg.de
hamburg.de
Abstract

As frentes ribeirinhas foram durante séculos as áreas mais dinâmicas das cidades. Foi nestas zonas que
muitas cidades surgiram e é onde as mudanças provocadas pela revolução industrial são mais vísiveis. As
inovações tecnológicas relacionadas com o mundo marítimo e industrial deixaram um conjunto de obras
e projectos arquitectónicos de grande valor. Estes elementos, que formam parte do património
industrial portuário, passaram a formar parte do Genius Loci do lugar, tornando-se peças fundamentais
da identidade da cidade portuária.
Embora geograficamente Lisboa seja considerada uma cidade portuária do Atlântico, no seu palimpsesto
cultural podemos observar uma forte relação com as grandes civilizações que dominaram o mar
Mediterrâneo. A sua evolução histórica pode facilmente ser comparada com a de outros portos deste
mar, como por exemplo Marselha, Génova ou Barcelona.
Hoje em dia a área metropolitana de Lisboa conta com uma população total de 2,8 milhões de
habitantes (2011) e acolhe um dos principais portos portugueses. Durante as últimas décadas a Câmara
Municipal e a autoridade portuária têm desenvolvido diversas iniciativas para melhorar a relação entre a
cidade, os cidadãos, o porto e o rio Tejo. Este tipo de iniciativas tem variado de grandes planos urbanos
a projectos individuais ao longo da frente ribeirinha.
Neste artigo apresentamos três grupos de intervenções na beira rio que contam como ponto de partida
uma pré-existência relacionada com as actividades marítimo-portuárias. No primeiro conjunto
explicamos projectos focados no espaço público, incluindo a Praça do Comércio e a Ribeira das Naus. O
segundo grupo centra-se nos grandes equipamentos industriais de distintas épocas. Os casos escolhidos
são a Cordoaria Nacional, a Central Tejo e o Edifício Pedro Álvares Cabral. Finalmente, no terceiro grupo,
iremos analisar os antigos armazéns que formam as docas, tendo sido reabilitados para actividades de
recreio, restaurantes, bares e discotecas. Neste grupo encontramos os conjuntos das Docas de Santo
Amaro e o Jardim do Tabaco.
Nas nossas cidades temos pegadas do passado, é a nossa responsabilidade incluí-las nas novas
dinâmicas urbanas para que não sejam só memórias do passado, mas sim elementos que permitam aos
habitantes um novo contacto com a frente ribieirinha. Este artigo mostra diferentes formas de conseguir
a integração entre património e novas actividades urbanas, confirmando os benefícios que podem ser
obtidos.

Keywords: port-city, waterfront, urban regeneration, heritage, port, reuse, urban planning
Lisbon: a Mediterranean city

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is placed in the Atlantic coast. However, when we analyze the culture and
the history of the city, we can notice that its roots are clearly linked to the Mediterranean Sea. The
cultural palimpsest present in the urban structure and its heritage comes from the different great
civilizations that at some point ruled this region. Its urban evolution can only be compared with other
Mediterranean port-cities like Marseille, Genoa or Barcelona, where the same civilizations of the past
also left their mark and the port played a crucial role for the urban development. The relation between
Lisbon and Portugal with the Mediterranean region was studied by one of the main Portuguese
geographers of the twentieth century, Orlando Ribeiro. In his book ”Portugal, o Mediterrâneo e o
Atlântico” (1987), developed a detailed study on Portugal's dual nature, i.e. a country which is Atlantic
by location but mostly Mediterranean in culture. This book had a wide impact, since Ribeiro deepens in
the concepts of Atlantic Europe and Mediterranean Europe, linking central and southern Portugal to the
Mediterranean culture and northern Portugal (together with Galicia) to a pan-Atlantic European culture.

Lisbon had a constant evolution as an important port-city along its history. During roman times it was
named Olissipo and it was integrated in the province of Lusitania. In the middle ages was controlled by
the caliphate of Cordoba until it was reconquered by the Christians in 1147. Only in 1255 it would
become the capital of Portugal.

Figure 1 Plan of Lisbon in the sixteenth century according to the engraving from G. Braun entitled "Theatrum Urbium".
Retrieved from the National Library of Portugal (cota CC-381-A).
The golden era of Lisbon arrived on the fifteenth century during which it was the capital of a growing
empire. Famous explorers like Vasco da Gama or Magalhães departed from this city on the search for
new land. The overseas colonies gave Lisbon a relevant international role in several fields like politics,
commerce and culture. During this time the port was the soul and heart of the city. The activities here
developed had an immediate impact in the urban structure and its inhabitants. Like in most port-cities,
in this early stage the interaction between both entities was very strong, there were no strict barriers
and the whole city was related to the port. During the sixteenth and seventeenth century the Iberian
commerce developed rapidly and Lisbon remained as one of the main ports in the path from the
Mediterranean sea to territories in Asia, Africa and South America.

During the eighteenth century the fade of the Portuguese capital changed dramatically. Due to the
decline of Portugal as an overseas empire other port-cities took the leading role Lisbon used to have.
Finally in 1755 a natural disaster changed the structure of the city. In 1 November an earthquake with
the epicenter in the Atlantic ocean close to the Portuguese sore took place. The effect of the seism
combined with a tsunami and fire caused mass destruction and the death of many1. After the
catastrophe the city was forced to develop a reconstruction plan for the downtown, the most affected
area. The head figure during the whole process was the Marquês de Pombal, the powerful prime
minister designated by the king D. José I. There were several proposals for the redevelopment of the
city center, the majority of them guided by the ideals of the time i.e. building more rational, healthier
and logical cities. The principles followed by Carlos Mardel and Eugenio dos Santos, the engineers
responsible for the project were precursory to the ones followed by Hausmann in Paris later on
(Pardal,2003).

Figure 2 Reconstruction plan for the Baixa by Eugénio dos Santos, Carlos Mardel and E. S. Poppe. Retrieved from "Atlas de
Lisboa. A Cidade no Espaço e no Tempo", coord. Maria Calado, Lisboa, 1993.
The break up between City and Port

Already before the great earthquake there were plans for the regularization of the waterfront to
improve the port infrastructure. During the nineteenth century the waterfront was one of the main
issues in Lisbon. Besides the needs for an improvement in the docking conditions, there were several
public health problems that were caused by the lack of souring and the dejects that were thrown
directly to the river. Several authors have identified different proposals for the redevelopment of the
riverfront, including partial or more general plans. The new port facilities were often incorporated in
designs that included as well new urban tissue, including bourgeois areas with workers neighborhoods.
Another novelty was the presence of new green spaces and in some cases, like the plan from Thomé
Gamon in 1870, the riverside boulevard, a public space inexistent until that moment (Barata, 2009).

Finally the legal figure of the Port Authority was created in 1887, and the port became an autonomous
place. This new institution was developed simultaneously with the first general plan for the port of
Lisbon, which structured an industrial development mainly in the center and western part of town. The
East part followed an unstructured growing process, initially small industries, but later on larger
industrial complexes, that functioned almost autonomously (Costa, 2006). The Industrial Revolution,
originated in England in 1780s2, accelerated the production process and as consequence also the
transport chains. These changes had a fast impact in the port. Heavy machinery started to be used, the
size of the vessels increased in short time, so did the volume of cargo and the need for space to store it.
In this metamorphose the port became gradually a closed area between the city and the river. We can
read in statements from writers of that period how the port began to be seen as an obstacle for the
relation with the Tagus.

Figure 3 Plans comparing the coast line in 1871 and 1911, from Alcântara to Cais Sodre. Source: “Arquitectura” nº137,1980,
P.29
Contemporarily, other important infrastructure was being developed that also caused changes in the
waterfront. In Lisbon the first railway was inaugurated in 1856 connecting the capital with Carregado
outside the city, towards the north-east. In the other direction the impact was even greater. In 1895 the
railway between Cais do Sodré, near the city center, and Cascais to the west was opened. It was
designed along the new coastline, and run parallel to the port and the river, next to the new Avenue
named Avenida 24 de Julho. This infrastructure immediately developed a new barrier between the city
and the Tagus. The alienation process did not stop there; new avenues and heavy roads were also
created to give answer to growing traffic and the needs of the city .

During the twentieth century almost the entire Lisbon coast line was artificially regularized, in order to
increase the port activities and accommodate the new ships. As mentioned before, the process started
in the west, but eventually continued to the east, reaching outside the municipality boundaries3.

All these changes ended the interaction that for so many centuries took place in the waterfront. The
open activities related with the river were reduced to few fish markets and the free urban access to the
water could mainly happen in the main square, Praça do Comércio, and the beaches outside the city
center. The port was seen as an external element that, although employed many inhabitants, had a
negative image, associated with the “sailor's towns”, source of pollution, danger, prostitution etc
(Rudolf, 1980).

In mid twentieth century a technological innovation in the transport industries increased the alienation
process. The container, created by Malcolm Mclean in 1956 (Amenda,2011), increased the port needs
for more storage areas, mainly outside the urban boundaries. In cities where this was not possible, the
port intensified its activities within the urban structure. In Lisbon this meant that the existing barrier
(fence plus infrastructure) was accentuated by a vertical wall of containers in the terminal handling this
cargo. This new change caused an even heavier mechanization process, with an inhuman scale, and the
feeling that in the port areas the inhabitants were unwanted visitors. Since 2004 the port authorities
have to implement the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security), that closes even more
the port areas to the city and harms the possible interaction.

The new access to the river.

In 1940 the Exposição do Mundo Português took place in Belém, in the western part of the city. Due to
the celebration of this event, the Portuguese government took the initiative to redevelop a section of
the waterfront area, allowing the local inhabitants to regain access to the Tagus river. It was planned
following the example of the world exhibitions, but focused on the former Portuguese colonies and the
ancient overseas empire. The historical meaning and the connections with the past were inevitable so it
was crucial that the inhabitants and visitors could reach the water and enhance its vision of the city. In
the project the issue of the barrier was handled for the first time creating an underground crossing.

Unfortunately the exhibition was not followed by other projects with the same scope. The issue of the
river connection remained in the dark until the late 1980s. In 1988 the first competition related with the
river took place and the waterfront problem became again a “hot topic”. Already in this event the
coordinator Arch. Pedro Brandão appealed to the regeneration of the waterfront considering it a crucial
part of Lisbon’s identity (Brandão, Jorge, 1988). The winning project addressed the barrier problematic
and proposed several visual axes and new public facilities that would recover the connection with the
water in a more symbolical way.

Finally, by the end of the 1980s and early 1990s, the first steps towards a complex vision of Lisbon’s
waterfront were given. Initially the extension of the recovered area in Belém gave the city a new public
space by the river. At the same time several pedestrian bridges were built in order to overcome the
barrier. There was also a change in the inhabitant’s idea of the river4. They started to demand the
connection to the Tagus, and noticed how important it was for the city’s identity.

In the last 30 years we have seen an important improvement in the relation between the city and the
river. In this paper several examples will be presented where we can observe how the rehabilitation of
port buildings helps the healing process of the wound between the city, the river and the port. At the
same time the question remains whether all the effort made regarding the refurbishment of industrial
heritage has really helped the port to establish itself as well as an identity element for Lisbon.

We must notice that in recent decades (1990s -2000s) several plans have been developed, in which the
issue of the relation with the river has been gaining more attention. These documents often included
studies and research regarding the Tagus and the waterfront. Some examples of these kind of plans are:
the strategic plan of Lisbon, POZOR (plan for the riverfront), Plano de Pormenor de Alcântara, the PDM
(the city's masterplan) or the Plano Geral de Intervenções da Frente Ribeirinha de Lisboa (Salgado,
2013). Most of the time these plans had idealistic visions, sometimes too ambitious, to become a reality.

The most relevant waterfront urban development in Lisbon was the 1998 EXPO, which had as main
theme the oceans. This plan was focused in the redevelopment of an area of 380 Ha, mostly described
as a port brownfield although it included several working industries and companies and low income
housing. The planners followed a tabula rasa concept leaving only the former refinery tower as a
landmark from the industrial past of the place. The redevelopment was supposed to boost the urban
development towards the east from the city center, however it created a new “island” of urbanity, with
a new approach towards the river. The results were mainly positive regarding the relation with the
Tagus, creating new public spaces in the waterfront but without attracting the urban development that
was expected. Some of the current main leisure centers, Pavilhão Atlântico, Museu da Ciência, FIL, Vasco
da Gama mall, are reconverted expo-facilities in what nowadays is called Parque das Nações.

In the present moment approximately 11 of the 19 km that form the Lisbon waterfront are accessible to
the public5. On the riverfront we can find different examples of interventions, from different scales and
approaches. We can see public and green spaces newly developed, but also spaces that are deeply
related with the past. In the 1990s several authors observed the potential of this industrial and port
related heritage and highlighted the importance it could have for the city, not just as museums or
sculptural elements but also as assets that could complement the existing public needs.

The existing heritage has been thoroughly studied and to be properly described it would require a long
term investigation. For this reason it was decided that this paper would only focus on three different
kinds of projects that have already been developed and can show the variety of spaces and the different
approaches that can be taken.
 In the first place we will present the two projects that dealt with the public space and the evolution of
the urban structure and uses, these are the Praça do Comércio rehabilitation and the Ribeira das Naus.
The second group of interventions are single industrial buildings of large dimensions that have been
restored or partially refurbished, and are mainly used for cultural activities. In this category we can find
the EDP Electricity Museum, the Orient Museum and the Cordoaria. Finally in the third group we will
analyze the old docks warehouses that in the 1990s were recovered for leisure activities. Two different
cases will be explained, the Docas de Santo Amaro and the Jardim do Tabaco.

FIRST GROUP OF INTERVENTIONS: PUBLIC SPACES

Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square)

The current layout of Lisbon's main square comes from the reconstruction plans, although before the
1755 earthquake this was already the main meeting place of the city6. As it still happens today, around
the square the buildings hosted the power institutions, ministries, and, as it names indicates, some of
the merchant companies. For the design of the buildings and the public space several proposals were
made, but the main characteristics remained unaltered. The size was determined by the urban plan and
the layout of the buildings did not change considerably. Like it happened with the overall plan, the
construction took several decades until it was totally finished, in the 1875, when triumphal arc was
concluded. Praça do Comércio is one of the biggest squares in Europe, with an overall dimension of
180x200 m and 35000 m2. It is a perfect symmetrical design with two central elements, the statue of
D.José I and the mentioned arc, from where the Rua Augusta, the main street of the plan, starts and
connects to other square from the Baixa plan, the Rossio.

Over the centuries the use of the central space has changed many times. Initially was envisioned as the
main representative space but rapidly it became appropriated by the citizens. On the arcade we can find
besides several ministries and govern agencies, some historic cafes, like o Martinho da Arcada. Although
the U-shaped layout remained unaltered, what happened in the central space went through different
phases. At the beginning of the twentieth century it had trees in order to give shade to the users, and
later on, until few decades ago, it was a central parking lot. This evolution could serve as a metaphor of
the evolution of the role that the waterfront space as suffered. This is the most representative space of
Lisbon, where in ancient times, but also during the twentieth century, world leaders were welcomed.
The mutations in the perceptions of the space are a good sign of how resilient cities can be.

In 1992 an idea competition was made. Although there was no winner design, the main concepts were
taken from the proposal developed by the architects Pedro Pacheco and José Adrião who took the
second place. In this project the architects developed a new strategy for the use of the arcade and new
pavements that would give back to the square the nobility with which it was originally thought, but at
the same time providing a new versatility for urban functions like events or concerts (Macedo, 2011).
The construction process was complex due to several issues, among them the groundwater or the
complications caused by the construction of the subway directly under the square. Finally in 2007 after
many political changes Praça do Comércio was redeveloped with a new project by a new architect Bruno
Soares who was directly chosen by the newly created public company Frente Tejo7. In 2010 the square
was reopen to the public, with a new design for the central space including a new pavement
characterized by stone diagonal stripes that increase the visual dimension of the square. The project
maintains the arcade program for cafes and restaurants, leaving the door open to new uses like
museums or commerce.

Figure 4 Praça do Comércio, Author: José M P Sánchez

Since the renovation the square has become once again part of the city’s collective image. Besides being
one of the main tourist attractions, is one of the main public scenarios for events and political
demonstrations. The river gets inside the city’s urban tissue thanks to the geometry and the scale of the
square, nowadays more recognizable than what has been for the past half a century.

Ribeira das Naus

This space is the ancient shipyard of Lisbon. In the images developed by Braun in the sixteenth century
we can already see evidences of a shipyard in the waterfront next to the royal palace. In this naval plant
were built the ships that would later connect with the overseas colonies. After the 1755 earthquake the
shipyard was rebuilt in the same location, remaining an area only accessible to the workers, therefore
not public. This industrial site remained active until the first half of the twentieth century when in 1939
the navy decided to close the site. This change allowed the construction of the road that connected the
east part of the city with the west, running parallel to the river.

The designer in charge was the landscape architecture office, PROAP, led by João Nunes. The project
started in 2009 and was finished in 2014. The project was divided in two phases, a first one regarding
the riverfront and the redevelopment of the avenue, and a second one which still is in progress that
includes the “land part”, concerning the dry docks and the green areas. After its opening several
changes were made to the original project, since the intense traffic required a different pavement for
the road section.

The project follows a concept of micro-topography, increasing the contrast between the different
historical times that left a footprint in the area, and at the same time reinforcing the connection with
the river. Also the water edge was redone and giving the inhabitants a space where they can get in
contact with the river, something missing in Lisbon’s urbanized waterfront.

The improvement of the space is clear, especially when compared with the previous stage. The presence
of a green area in the waterfront is something that until this moment existed only in Belém, including
the Junqueira waterfront, and in the Parque das Nações. This new area invites people to stay by the
Tagus river and functions not just as connection area between two historical public transport nodes, but
also as a place to stay.

The most critical aspect is the presence of the road that still runs in the middle of the project. This is an
element of conflict because it breaks the project into two sections and does not allow the full usufruct
of the new developed space. The issue regarding the east-west connection has remained problematic
since the city started to develop along the waterfront. The traffic crossing the city center is one of the
main problems of Lisbon. Since the completion of the mentioned avenue in the first half of the
twentieth century, it has been clear that it is necessary to find another solution. The construction of a
tunnel to diminish the impact of the traffic has been discussed several times, however the technical and
budget difficulties have held the project still. In other port cities we have seen that the only solution for
the crossing traffic is to create a tunnel or an elevated connection. Both options imply considerable
investment and difficulties for its realization. The municipality however has decided to continue with the
development of new green spaces next to the waterfront without addressing this problem.

Figure 5 Ribeira das Naus, Author: Lola Sánchez Pérez.

SECOND GROUP OF INTERVENTIONS: THE LARGE SINGLE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING

In a second group we can find what once were important industrial buildings directly related with the
port. This typology is characterized by its great dimensions, that in the last decades have made them
very attractive for exhibitions and events.

In chronological order from the moment when they were built three cases will be explained, the
Cordoaria Nacional, Central Tejo (Electricity Museum) and Pedro Álvares Cabral Building (Orient
Museum)

Cordoaria Nacional
The ancient Royal Factory of Cordoaria da Junqueira, was built in the late eighteenth Century, after the
earthquake, by order from the Marquês de Pombal. In this building the ropes, cords and flags for the
different ships that departed from Lisbon’s port were manufactured (Nabais, Ramos, 1987). Its location
nowadays does not allow the same relation with the river like it used to be before the shore line was
artificially rebuilt. The building was modified when the waterfront was changed by landfills to allow the
railway connection from Cais do Sodré to Cascais. In ancient cartography we can see that the south
façade was directly on the water and that both two ends used to be considerably larger, this last
modification took place later when the path of the railway was modified.

One of its most peculiar characteristics are its dimensions, it is almost 400 meter long and 50 wide,
being one of the longest buildings in Europe. These particular proportions were directly related with the
industrial activities that were developed inside.

This example of industrial architecture is considered nowadays a national monument and hosts the navy
archives, a naval school and two main galleries prepared for temporary exhibitions and events. Although
there are several program using the space simultaneously, the building it is not fully recovered,
particularly the interiors, and still does not have a clear purpose.

Figure 6 Cordoria Nacional. Author: Lola Sánchez Pérez.

Its situation in the city, in Belém, surrounded by urban voids, in front of the infrastructural barrier and
its particular morphology increases the complexity of a possible full rehabilitation. Very often it is an
topic of public debate. For several years was planned to adapt the Cordoaria for hosting the National
Archeology museum or the Navy Museum, but the intervention has proven difficult and costly. The
building does not has the conditions for permanent exhibitions or guarantees the climatic needs for
delicate artifacts.
At the moment this area still waits for the completion of a plan in order to redevelop its connection to
the river and find a permanent solution for the space.

Central Tejo

The second case is the Electricity museum, also in Belém. Built in the early twentieth century, the
industrial complex known as Central Tejo, functioned from 1909 until 1972. The most representative
building was finished in the mid-1920s and it is a good example of industrial architecture heritage. Its
red brick façade has become an important landmark in Lisbon’s waterfront, and it represents the
evolution of the city into the industrial times.

Figure 7 Central Tejo. Author: Lola Sánchez Pérez.

During the first half of the twentieth century was the main power plant in the city. It played a key role
producing energy for many uses, like the railway line that runs parallel to the river, heading to the west.

Although the industrial activity stopped officially in the end of the 1970s, it was only recovered for
cultural uses in the 1990s, when started to work as electricity museum. More recently, since 2006,
reopened its doors as the EDP Museum, owned by the major electrical company of the country. Besides
the main exhibition it also hosts temporary events.

Its privileged position on the shore increases its monumentality, especially considering that it is an
isolated volume on the sore without any other buildings in the surroundings to compare with. At the
same time it is placed in Belém, with many other monuments and cultural centers, integrated in the
cultural urban structure.

At the present moment the EDP is building another cultural center next to the EDP Museum. This new
project, signed by the British architect Amanda Levete, has also generated much discussion regarding
the architecture, the location and the real need for this new building. Its sinuous shapes will create a
great contrast with the place and the preexistence. Also this project changes partially the river line,
something that it was not initially allowed in the municipal plans.

This new facility, along with the EDP Museum and the coaches Museum reinforces the idea of a cultural
axis along the river, developed in the strategic plans by the Lisbon municipality. This strategy has been
occasionally criticized, considering that Lisbon already has museums and cultural centers with
considerable budgets and great expenditure of public money.

Pedro Álvares Cabral Building

The final case in this group is the building that hosts the Orient Museum. This construction from the
1940s, project done by the architect João Simões Antunes, is a remarkable example of the architecture
of the regime the Estado Novo. Being the original program a codfish warehouse, it almost has no
windows in the façades, accentuating the monolithic aspect of the volume. In 1992 stopped functioning
as a warehouse and it closed its doors until 2008 when reopened as the Orient Museum, run by the
Fundação Oriente.

Figure 8 Edificio Pedro Àlvares Cabral. Author: Lola Sánchez Pérez

The renovation project was signed by one of the most renowned contemporary architects in Portugal,
João Luis Carrilho da Graça. During the construction process there were several issues to be solved
related with the previous activity of the building, the very low free height of the several floors forced the
architect to find a complex distribution scheme8. Another problem was the strong codfish odor that
remained in the building; this issue was finally solved and did not compromise the normal operation of
the museum.
Its urban situation is relatively complex, considering that it is placed in Alcântara, where several port
activities are still functioning. It is near the container terminal, the customs and navy guard facilities.
Also at the front of the main door exists the infrastructural barrier that separates the city from the river.
This issue might be the most critical aspect of the project in terms of urban planning. As we analyze the
building, we can see that it is not properly connected with the surroundings, which include a train
station from where visitors could arrive.

Even with these problems, this example shows us that although the original use of the building was very
specific and that the morphological features of the preexistence were not easy to incorporate to current
uses it was possible to recover for a new program totally different from the original function.

THIRD GROUP OF INTERVENTIONS: THE PORT WAREHOUSES

Finally the third typology is the docks warehouses, that between the mid-1990s and the 2000s were
refurbished for recreational activities. Two cases will be presented although there are many others
along the riverbank in Lisbon9.

The first case is the Santo Amaro docks, also popularly known as “Docas”. As we have previously seen, in
this zone the port activities are still functioning, where we can find the container and the cruise
terminals among others. Also there are several buildings that host offices and companies related with
the port. In the beginning of the 1990's this was one of the first waterfront sections where former port
buildings were transformed to host recreational uses. The warehouses were restored by privates with
the support of the port authority (Rêgo Cabral, 2011). In the same area two recreational marinas were
created, Santo Amaro and Alcântara.

Figure 9 Docas de Santo Amaro. Author: José M P Sánchez

We can see that this area is in a relative central location, west from the Praça do Comércio. Several
public transports reach this place and is one of the waterfront sections where we can clearly see the
barrier effect caused by some port sectors. Considering that there is a complex mix of functions, we can
realize the consequences of having an industrial port within city boundaries, and the problems that it
can generate, related with traffic and the accessibility requirements of trucks and cargo transport.

In terms of program there is a key difference with the previous cases. In the previous cases there is a
cultural function, but in this case the main role is played by leisure activities. This is important for the
urban waterfront regeneration in order to insure the diversity of what sort of programs can be
developed in this part of the city. This aspect is crucial to make sure that the river is present in the
everyday life, even though when it is only the background picture.

The industrial architecture of these warehouses has been very often reduced to a simple container for
activities, which can be understood when we see that there is no special protection, unlike what
happens with the other cases that are considered national monuments. Although this might be an issue
if seen from the heritage preservation point of view, it might have been a positive aspect when seen
from the business perspective, considering that allows more freedom to private entrepreneurs and the
rapid occupation of these buildings.

A second case study is the Jardim do Tabaco. This is also a docks warehouses ensemble, like the previous
one, but placed east from the Praça do Comércio. The name is related with the tobacco customs placed
in the area around the seventeenth century. It follows the same model as the ones presented before,
former docks warehouses refurbished to host restaurants, bars and clubs; reinforcing the idea of
nightlife by the river. A different aspect is the fact that in these buildings we can also find different shops
facing the city side.

In this area of the city we can feel again the effect of the barrier and the lack of adapted pedestrian
paths, especially considering that we are nearby the main square and different subway connections. In
the near future we should see important changes in this section of the waterfront since the new cruise
terminal will be built here.

The two cases briefly explained show other model of intervention in the waterfront, which also
integrates the preexistence buildings but develops a different activity and purpose. The mix of uses
present in the riverfront areas is a key aspect in order to insure the presence of people with different
schedules, activities and needs.

Conclusions

When analyzing Lisbon’s waterfront we see different types of interventions. Until the present moment
there has been a relative positive balance between brand new interventions, like the Parque das
Nações, and the recycling and reuse of port buildings heritage. This is a key aspect to ensure the good
relation between port and city and reinforce the urban identity. As we have seen in this paper there is
not just one way to reuse the existing buildings. In the waterfront many different activities can take
place and it is important that it happens so. We cannot just destine the river banks for green areas and
museum, but also the different urban programs that we find in our cities, from culture to offices, from
education to housing. In many Mediterranean cities we can see how port heritage has been recovered
for different uses, like in Barcelona the Atarazanas, in Genoa the Magazini del cottone and in Marseille
the industrial silos.

Through the different examples that have been here presented, we can see how important it is to plan
beyond the scale of the building. In order to increase the effect of the reuse of port heritage to new
activities, we have to ensure that it is well connected to adjacent areas and also linked to urban
transport networks. Elaborating urban plans that take in account the different systems acting in the city,
helps us to face the complexity and the conflicts between different realities. In port-cities this conflict is
always present and we have to consider how the different elements interact between themselves, in
order to find a balance and reach a status quo between port and urban activities.

In the process of waterfront urban regeneration several actors play key roles and there has to be a
constant dialogue in order to reach good results. When talking about port cities we have always to
consider the port authorities, their rules and their priorities. The municipality must have clear course for
action or as we have seen there is the risk of leaving the city in an impasse, without going forward to a
better relation with the sea or river. In many Western Mediterranean cities we also see the important
role played by public companies dedicated to manage the urban regeneration. These companies could
be a good way to deal with conflict and coordinate the process.

Port-cities have an even more complex reality than other cities. The way their roots are connected to
the sea or river makes them special. We have to plan our cities in order to get in touch with our roots,
respect the identity and find a development model for the coexistence between port and city.
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Notes

1
The debate regarding the death caused by the seism is not settled. According to some sources the earthquake
could have caused from 10 000 to 100 000 casualties. The effects of this natural disaster were felt in the entire
continent. Other Portuguese and Spanish cities suffered the shakes and destruction of the quake. The tsunami
could have reached the coasts of Brazil several hours after it occurred.
2
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain and spread to Western Europe and the United States within a
few decades. The precise start and end of the Industrial Revolution is debated among historians. Eric Hobsbawm
held that it 'broke out' in Britain in the 1780s and was not fully felt until the 1830s or 1840s, while T. S. Ashton held
that it occurred roughly between 1760 and 1830. Joseph E Inikori (2002)
3
Several researchers (Costa, Barata, Fernandes, Figuiera de Sousa among others) have studied the evolution of the
industry along the waterfront of Lisbon. Costa identifies different stages that include changes of the scale in the
industrial facilities but also their location in the urban tissue. The industry evolves from a smaller scale developed
near the center (Praça do Comércio) and the west side of the city, to bigger conglomerates in the eastern section
of, and finally to the autonomous complex in the south side of the estuary.
4
The urban waterfront regeneration projects have become a global phenomenon. During the 1960's the first
projects were developed in North America , after that we see an evolution until today's most recent interventions
in Hamburg, Rotterdam or Marseille. This kind of plans have become usual in port-cities. The inhabitants from
these same cities regained the notion of important urban spaces by the water are.
5
In the sustainability reports from 2007 and 2008 it is explained that 76% of the waterfront under the jurisdiction
of the port authority (205 km) is accessible to the public. The issue is the fact that most of the heavy port activities
are placed in the waterfront of Lisbon. In the report from 2007 it is said that 41% of the territory controlled by the
port authority in Lisbon (15,9 km) is accessible to the public. This figure is the lowest of the 11 municipalities that
have contact with the port.
6
In fact the king D. Manuel I changed his residence in 1511 to the palace placed in the waterfront, an area that
later came to be known as the "Terreiro do Paço."
7
This public company was supposed to coordinate all the projects related with Lisbon’s waterfront, including as
well the Ribeira das Naus and the Carriage Museum in Belém. After several public scandals the company was
closed and did not continued with other possible projects. This "quango" could have worked as a interesting tool
for the development of the waterfront heritage and coordination of plans.
8
http://www.jlcg.pt/museu_do_oriente
9
We can find other recycled docks warehouses in Cais do Sodré, Alcântara, Parque das Nações and Xabregas.