The Praça de Espanha due to its spatial, hydric and road centrality may be the place of a new idea of city, a city that is built in relation with nature and not overlapping it. That the water paths will again return to the surface. Understanding and value the water as a finite and fundamental resource for our existence. Take advantage of its presence, promoting the landscape to create shady and fresh riparian galleries, introducing nature at city gates and Gulbenkian.

This place is the epicenter of one of the biggest Lisbon’s drainage basin. From here a good part of the rainfall, running down from the new avenues towards the Alcântara valley, would pass through here. The water system is artificial for a long time, the waterline intubated and the flows diverted. Although still remains the potential of creating a singular ecosystem from the point of view of its biological production, as it is showed in the great vegetative development of some trees examples like Black Poplar (Populus nigra) and Portuguese Oak (Quercus faginea).

The solution in coexistence with other systems of the city restructures the renaturation of the waterline, promoting the installation of a humid, a naturally bio diverse and productive ecosystem. In addition, a cleaner atmosphere, gardens easiest to maintain, a fresher city, a more resilient to climate changes and more beautiful, all these were benefits that this transformation could bring.

The Center of the park integrate the big meadow and the central square, two places of intense use and contrasting natures but complementary. Together form an immense place of arrival, gathering, staying, and of orientation.

Complementarily to the water path fluidity, also the proposal associates this fluidity to the pedestrian and cycle mobility, crossing the creak with a big diagonal that establish a new connection between Duque de Ávila> Gulbenkian> Center of the park and the Praça de Espanha subway station > Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro Avenue and Portuguese oncologic institute (IPO).

The proposal emphasizes a direct access, an West-East axis due to the expected intensity of the biggest pedestrian and cycle flows, between the central area of the park – where is the main square and the subway stations – and Calouste Gulbenkian foundation.

The presented solution allows a direct and flat access between the central area of the park and Calouste Gulbenkian foundation, through the walkways that cross the Combantente Avenue and the Berna Avenue, an axis that crosses the stream through a pier.

Nevertheless the efficiency of this solution, the aerial walkway between Gulbenkian and the center of the park, make the pedestrian and cycling flow more continuous, fast, comfortable and pleasant.

“The park is fluid and smooth like the shapes that water takes on; the interplay between the ridges and valleys addresses compartmentalization, water retention, and the protection from external noise. Every square meter of the park has a hydrological function. Instead of being diverted, water is utilized or slowed down by the soil and vegetation, in the retention basins and the lake.”

Project Data

Landscape Architecture: NPK landscape architecture

Phase: 2018 | 2022

Other Collaborators: Architecture: RUA Architects, Engineering: SOPSEC, Water and Sewers: Campo de Água

Location: Praça de Espanha, Lisbon

Client: Municipality of Lisbon

Area: 5 ha