Portuguese cities give us some of the most beautiful postcards in the world, and we have to thank mainly to their impressive oldness and hilliness. However there are paradoxical dynamics related to urban planning that could explain the lack of modern high-rise buildings in the capital's metropolitan area. Beyond the fire department legal constraints, there is also a kind of 'anti-skyscrapers' ideology in a country where the extreme disperse occupation causes debate, and especially where new construction has too much high rates compared to rehabilitation. Consequently, today Lisbon has interesting projects that probably will never get approval by the authorities. I am going to present the most extraordinary ones.
These images above and below represent respectively two plans to regenerate a dockyard in Almada (south bank of Tagus river). The first one was created in 1999 by the Portuguese architects Manuel Graça Dias and Egas José Vieira. This new district for 15 000 people would include a tower with 300 meters of height and a giant viaduct around it that named the project as 'Elipse'. It was so shocking that in 2005 a new urban project was launched by Richard Rodgers and Santa Rita for the same area. More realistic and more integrated, but maintaining the existence of some high-rise buildings. For both projects it would be needed a great investment only possible by a financial fund that does not exist since then. Today the dockyard is still abandoned.
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In 2003 it was exposed an urban project for Alcantâra (near 25 de Abril bridge). This project included 3 towers designed by the Pritzker awarded Siza Vieira. After some controversy the towers were replaced by small buildings.
The next project is extremely utopian... ...for now. The only available information just tell us about a skyscraper called 'Lusitana' that reaches the one kilometer mark. It is planned to Lisbon since 2008, but the Peregrine Developments firm does not explain the origin of this idea.
(Manuel Graça Dias & Egas José Vieira project)
(Richard Rodgers & Santa Rita project)
(Siza Vieira website)
E há muitos mais exemplos não aprovados. Pessoalmente nao vejo qualquer problema em construir-se algumas torres em sete rios ou no parque das nações. Até nas picoas ficariam bem algumas.
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