Praça das Sete Bicas

Descriptive Report

1,2,3 Let’s go

The stages of a phoenix, live, die and reborn beautiful then ever

Previous State

As a common point for the community of Matosinhos specially Senhora da hora, this area was in the past a big and heavy industry spot, Efanor factory of shopping lines. With an interesting main building, today classified as Industrial Heritage of Matosinhos, this factory in the 90s closed, being abandoned and tried to have several functions in the near past.

On the beginning of the new millennium, some of the surrounding areas we’re having public and private investment, so in one big part of the former factory it was created a primary private school Efanor School, this was the first intervention in this former heavy duty production place, started to produce and educate children and brains.

In 2010 another big opportunity was given to the factory surroundings, and it was born a new building Oporto Business School, another step to give to this quarter a new living mean, and the bet was always knowledge and community services.

But unfortunately the big central area was being abandoned, spite several ideas and projects, that unfortunately never give to the main factory building the dignity of other periods.

So this generated one black spot between three main important points or community services, a primary and secondary school, an Universtity Oporto Business Scholl and the Chapel of Senhora da Hora, in clay ground between 3 community services, so this place was being mostly used for chaotic car parking, and a point for delinquent activity frequented by problematic youth, that was generating huges conflicts with a primary school are and of course the need of security for this quarter.

As a spot for big social struggles and clash, we’re the abandoned building of Efanor Factory was playing the main role, even classified as Industrial Heritage of Matosinhos, was the ideal spot to hide and support for the social tension in this community and delinquent behaviors, as a destroyed place, was being noticed as unsecure spot and bringing along an intense degradation to the area as a frequented area for drugs, junk and conflicts, the negative impact of this in Matosinhos was big, and was a problematic focus for both schools and Chapel nearby.

So this was, and still is a very social and organic quarter, that suffered several changes and as having different roles in Matosinhos.

Aim of the intervention

Challenge the community with a square to be adopted by them, the intention was not only the create a public space, but mainly to challenge the community to use it and take advantage of it.

Create a landmark to the Municipality challenging concepts and experiences, giving also regional, national and international impact to this square.

Recover this area and give it back to the community, from abandoned ruins and social conflict area into to a main, healthy multifunctional public area of Senhora de Hora:

1 -  transforming the area into a community meeting point;

2 – create a multifunctional square;

3 - give dignity to Senhora da Hora pilgrimage and festival – with open market area and amusement park;

4 – create an organized car park;

5 – develop a laser with green fields for people to use it every day, to do sport activities, cycle, run, or simply walk;

6 – take advantage of the chapel of Senhora da Hora and promote a cultural area and a small open air coliseum;

7 – give dignity to the surroundings of the Industrial Heritage Building of Efanor Factory as a central attraction, preparing it for a different role in the near future;

8 – Promote a healthy communication way between the 2 schools, the Chapel and the main roads that cross this community;

9 – Transform into a secure zone free of social clash.

Description

Metamorphosis off a clay and ruined abandoned area, like phoenix this was the challenge what was before a social working living area, abandoned the past decades, that was supporting social conflicts and tensions Aimed to become an emblematic public square, located in Senhora da Hora, between Avenue da Senhora da Hora, Fonte das Sete Bicas street, private school Efanor and o Oporto Business School. We're we have two impact collective memories of Matosinhos, Sete Bicas Chapel and former Efanor Industrial building.

This new area was thought to be a green and play zone in the centrality of Senhora da Hora community, with capacity for small and medium public events, such music concerts, street markets, local festivals, this new multifunctional public space was designed to also host a national festival of the municipality Festas da Senhora da Hora or pilgrimage of Senhora da Hora, a very known Catholic and religious party and festival in Matosinhos, that attracts people all over north of PORTUGAL region.

So taking the flexibility and functionality for this place, metamorphosis was the key point for a place that today can be a leisure zone, tomorrow can be an open concert all, or also the main room for Senhora da Hora festivity and pilgrimage. 

Sustainability was also one of the issues, in an era that United Nations claimed the sustainability development goals for the world, this project was developed so that it could help implement and achieve the following goals:

• sustainable cities and communities – generating a public multifunctional place to be held by the community, designed and built to not consume unnecessarily resources. Contribute to solve social black spot, and promote social integration. This is also a square to work as the community meeting point.
• good wealth and wellbeing – A big leisure zone to do sports and for the people to relax in a calm environment, with services like water spots, seat areas, and grass areas to lean and relax, or play.
• Quality Education – contributing for healthy surrounds of both schools, this give quality to the learning process developed, as well cleaned the tension and insecurity in the area
• Responsible consumption and production -usage of recycled materials, and usage of materials in an non intensive way, taking advantage of the morphology land to create the different areas, like the amphitheater,
• Life on land – Green lands with trees and herbs, always with local species so that we weren’t damaging plants and it is sustainable and balanced the living support for them
• Partnership for goals – engagement with local organizations like “Comissão de Festas de Senhora da Hora” (festivity of Senhora da Hora committee), Church Groups – chorus, sports and cultural groups.

So this square as 5 main areas and roles:

Track race

The Square located in the middle of this area its surrounding an exciting industrial building Efanor, classified as industrial heritage of Matosinhos municipality, that once was one of the more emblematic and lived places, become a collective memory even up today. A challenging design and concept was made trying to honors the memory of those that had worked in the past in that factory. It was designed inspired as a big amphitheater based as a track race like saying to community look to this building and imagine what we were doing here, what our grandparents did in this place, paying honor to this memories, saying we were the best. With this design an amphitheater to pay honor and a track Ground to be a play zone. So if in the near past could be a tough living spot, today we can take our new generations to relax, to take advantage, to run, to ride a bicycle or sit for a while and appreciate this peculiar industrial building. With wide walks splitted by green areas, this is a multifunctional place that can be used for street markets, walking, running or even being used for Senhora da Hora amusement park festivities. We're some people can see an amphitheater others could see race track and this is the metamorphosis off the area, from a heavy working area, today we can have a relaxing, cultural and amusement area.

In this area we hope the community can also do their weekend local markets of goods.

Green Amphitheater

Green amphitheater, or open air theater, is on the top east near chapel Fonte das Setebicas, has as main target to take advantage of the chapel alley creating room for the cultural area where it can be hold and take place several small or mid-scale events. Such as theatre plays, music concerts, presentations, folk festivals, dance festivals, among others.

Car Park

Parking lot, with 100 places, with also place for disabled people and that is in the west near the roundabout, near Sete Bicas Street and Oporto Business School, and it will also be the place for the temporary amusement park of the party of Senhora da Hora pilgrimage. The car park entrance is from Senhora da Hora Avenue and the exit is to Fonte das Sete Bicas Street, and it will be also giving access for loading to Efanor existing building.

Garden

The green spaces will be holding herbs and trees that will give during the seasons different colors and smells, giving always a dynamic aspect to this zone so that we can have different experiences feelings and challenge our senses.

Senhora da Hora pilgrimage facilities

Another function attributed to this area, will be the national festival of Senhora da Hora, we’re this will remove from other parts of the city the open market that stands for 15 days, and also the activity amusement park. Where the car park will be transformed in the amusement park, and the tracks will held the open market.

This square will be holding several infrastructures like water spots, and needed services for the playing park or cultural events such electricity, lights so that he can support the several activities during the day or during the night and also can offer quality and support to users.

Assessment

Challenge, this was the key word for this project, challenge of generating a multifunctional square, challenge was to the community to take it as their own.

Generated a multifunctional place, with car park, areas for leisure and sports, amphitheatre for cultural activities, areas for the annual festival of Senhora da Hora.

Engagement was the result, what was meant to be a public intervention from the Municipality, ended up with the engagement from – “Comissão de Festas de Senhora da Hora” (festivity of Senhora da Hora committee), sports groups, Chapel activities with the chorus, all they gather together on the opening day to received back from an abandoned area, that the Municipality made an intervention and the community when this opened they told we are here to use it and take care of it.

This was not an organized moment, this was spontaneous movement from the community, that now can play, can feel, can live and take advantage. Like Phoenix from a collective memory that helped economically this community to be built in Efanor Factory, to a place that today we can show to our grandkids we can play, and that the community can gather together.

The results we’re noted, and by the news in local media and National Media, the project add more impact than predicted.