On 4 May, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the students of ESAD's Colour Laboratory will be going on a study visit to the Caminho das Escadinhas project. This is a project to renovate an area of the Monte Xisto neighbourhood in Matosinhos and is one of the finalists in the Mies Van de Rohe International Competition.
The "Caminho das Escadinhas" is a project that links architecture, art and nature. The walking route connects the hillside of the Monte Xisto neighbourhood to the bank of the River Leça and seeks to demonstrate the added value that projects carried out with scarce means can bring to the most "hidden" and neglected urban spaces in our cities.
The visit will be led by the author of the project, architect Paulo Moreira, and will also be attended by Helena Roseta, Clara Vale, Victor Martins, Pedro Gonçalves and Lucio Magri.
The year-long process brought together an interdisciplinary team of architects, local builders, artists and a wide network of partners. In the first phase of the work, the staircases culminating in Rua das Escadinhas, a peculiar urban device, were upgraded, providing access between the high and low levels of Monte Xisto's western slope. The project consisted of repairing the steps and handrails, as well as creating a new boundary between the public staircase and the neighbouring private land, creating a structure of benches inviting people to enjoy the staircase itself as a place to rest.
Following the path that connects the foot of the staircase to the River Leça, an old ruin was restored, transforming it into a socialising area in the middle of nature. Small interventions have restored the complex to its original character, stripping it of the precarious interventions that have accumulated over the years. The careful restoration work promotes permanence in the area by installing benches in all the "rooms" of the building, giving it a socialising function.
The event is free and requires no registrations.
Organised by Creative Europe, Fundació Mies van der Rohe and Guiding Architects / cultour.
This project was promoted by INSTITUTO and designed by paulo moreira architectures, with Verkron, as part of the Bairros Saudáveis programme, also with the support of InResidence / Ágora - Cultura e Desporto and União de Freguesias - Custóias, Leça do Balio e Guifões.
https://youtu.be/x-zohxjO0sw?si=m81k18skptXTVzZn