The intervention at Praça de Espanha’s Urban Park results from a public competition promoted by the Lisbon City Council and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
This is a structural project for the city, which aims, beyond the creation of an urban park, the reorganization of road infrastructure and the revitalization of a characterless area.
The programme is focused around two main areas that complement each other and reinforce the identity of the Park: the new Central Square and the small square of the Teatro da Comuna.
The Central Square is defined by the presence of the Cafeteria and two access points to the atrium of the Praça de Espanha Metro station, both sheltered by two canopies. These canopies — essential elements that define the identity of the project — form an ensemble that integrates the entire programme of the Square. They function as meeting points and reception areas for the Metro exits, while simultaneously accommodating the Cafeteria programme. These elements are built with pigmented concrete, basalt aggregate, and distinct finishes — smooth, bush-hammered, and exposed aggregate.
The Cafeteria, at 78sqm, seeks to relate as openly as possible to the park to the North and East, and to the Central Square to the South, through a glazed facade that wraps around the entire room, allowing a visual connection between the square and the park. The facade is composed of successive pivoting panels that allow the space to be fully opened. Access from the exterior can be made through two entrances located at the junction of this glazed plane with the area closed to the public. This area, clad in folded aged brass sheet (to increase its impact resistance and durability), houses the Cafeteria's service access points.
The northern entrance connects to the large clearing of the park, while the southern entrance, given its direct relationship with the central square, becomes the main access to the Cafeteria. The ceiling, formed by the exterior canopies, extends from the outside into the interior of the Cafeteria, reinforcing the idea of continuity and unity of the Square. The material chosen for the flooring is identical to that of the walls; however, as it is an interior and central space, it features a different finish: stroked concrete that highlights the basalt aggregate and results in a smooth, durable surface.
The Teatro da Comuna kiosk is designed to serve the western area of the Park — an opaque volume that transforms itself upon opening the large sliding panel composed of small pieces of folded brass sheet. This panel runs along the main elevations, allowing the service counter to be fully open to the exterior.
Together with the landscape proposal, the project seeks to redefine the city as a place of integration with nature, where construction does not overshadow but rather complements the natural space. Praça de Espanha thus emerges as a central point in the city of Lisbon, fostering connections between various urban amenities and circulation axes, and consolidating its importance within the city's structure.
