With the help of Carrilho da Graça's studio, young architect Ilia Voulgari has designed an extensive urban park in the western part of Lisbon, between Cais do Sodré and Belém. She suggests connecting the city to the river, eliminating the train, the roads and the port, and replacing these infrastructures with green areas, a public swimming pool and even a sauna.
Lisbon is characterized by the Tagus, but in the western part, in particular, the relationship with the river is affected by the train line and port infrastructure, which create a barrier between the city and the water. Ilia Voulgari, a young architect, suggests changing that with the project Hydroscape Lisbon. The idea is to reconstruct Lisbon's urban landscape along 14 kilometers of riverside, enhancing the proximity to the water and bringing that watery beauty to the city. Ilia proposes an extensive urban park with green spaces, a public swimming pool and even a sauna.
Ilia's proposal develops between Cais do Sodré and Doca de Pedrouços, in Belém. In this extension, the train line, the roads and also the port disappear to make way for new urban spaces. The author doesn't say what she is doing with these rail, road and port infrastructures, but part of them could be subterranean or diverted. An open-air market is proposed surrounded by a garden with different species of vegetation, an amphitheater/viewpoint overlooking the river, various green and landscaped areas, a sauna by the river, and an open-air public swimming pool.
With the Hydroscape Lisbon, the young architect sought to rethink the city's relationship with wateron both a territorial and human scalewhile drawing attention to the issue of climate change. In this field, the proposal includes a water treatment plant which takes advantage of this resource, coming from the valleys and sewers, and which, once treated, is used to feed the swimming pool, sauna or even irrigate the park. This treatment process involves two stages: firstly, through mechanical processes and then through constructed wetlands, which also form part of the urban landscape. In essence, Ilia believes that water infrastructures can be integrated into the fabric of the city, making new public spaces flourish - giving birth to a new way of life. hydroscape (hydro + landscape) or "water landscape".
O Hydroscape Lisbon was Ilia's final thesis projectwho studied at Glasgow School of Artwho developed the idea during an exchange program at the University of Lugano in Switzerland. The proposal, under the guidance of Carrilho da Graça's architecture studio, was distinguished in the 2024 edition of the New European Bauhaus Awards, which aim to recognize and celebrate inspiring examples of transformations of physical spaces; in this competition, it was also awarded to idea of a disruptive streetcar stop made from fungal mycelium.
"The proposal reconstructs Lisbon's landscape with a 14-kilometer urban park along its coastline, and includes a water treatment center and a public bath"The description of the project drawn up by the young architect reads. "The architectural design explores local aquatic phenomena, conceiving them as a natural flow machine. One part focuses on the aquatic system and the other on the urban face of Lisbon."is mentioned in the same description.
According to the author, "by implementing efficient water management techniques"the project would be "an example for urban areas around the world facing similar water issues". "The urban park also promotes sustainable mobility, a cycling network, public transport and attractive walking spaces"according to the proposal.
You can get to know Hydroscape Lisbon in more detail here:
