Parque Ribeirinho Oriente

Fitting into the Lisbon City Council strategy for 2020 promoting "Biodiversity in the city of Lisbon", the Parque Ribeirinho Oriente is the new urban waterfront park Lisbon was claiming for, seeking to regenerate a notable territory and designed to be vibrant and inclusive. Conceived by the Lisbon-based landscape architecture studio F|C with a multidisciplinary team, this 4 hectares park, located on the banks of the Tagus along 600 meters of riverfront, contributes to Lisbon’s eastern area revitalization. Founded on the symbiosis between the river and the city in a former industrial area, the project stands out for its role in promoting biodiversity.

The memory of a past linked to port and industrial activity is crucial for the understanding of the park, whose colors, textures, pavements, and materials are among the elements of the pre-existing identity to be enhanced. To increase the biodiversity in this relevant ecotope, the planting strategy aims to recover potential habitats. To this end, most native species chosen were produced in the Lisbon area especially for the park, with the prospect that maintenance needs will be minimal in the near future. Also, both environmentally and economically, the park's sustainability is based on reducing resource consumption, hence taking advantage of local materials, selecting potential vegetation and efficient equipment. Furthermore, rainwater either flows naturally into the river or is collected and discharged into infiltration wells, thus avoiding the overloading of the city drainage infrastructure.

The large longitudinal green body prints a variable rhythm to the experience of the users, alternating moments of action, with others of rest and contemplation. There is a leisure track over the old railroad, a generous riverside promenade with wooden sun loungers, and a children's playground evocative of the river activity, but also solar sculptures that stimulate curiosity, and site-specific graphic elements such as shadow engravings of birds on the pavement or coordinates inscription of other cities over the Tagus course. Far beyond a park, a living and evolving system is founded, generating a unique experience in the city.