A margem da cidade. Estratégias e especulações sobre a frente ribeirinha das Fontainhas num caso prático

Abstract

This Master Thesis, entitled "À margem da cidade. Estratégias e especulações sobre a frente ribeirinha das Fontainhas num caso prático", is a result of an analysis and reflection around the urban space of Fontainhas and the intrinsic relations established between the Douro river, the dynamics that act in its territory and the dialogue between the construction and the gaps that surround it. The continuous decline and the few real reabilitation an urban regeneration actions taken place in this area, motivated the development of a projet solution in its extensive territory. In order to comprehend the actual situation of Fontainhas, it is developed an analysis and reflection on the main moments which appoint to the territory evolution of the area, in its urban and architectual aspects, as much as social ones. It was interesting to approach the case study from its history and urban morphology, as well as from the developments taken place in it, in order to understand what restricted its territorial growth and its fragil position in the urban tissue of the city. Parallel to this, we add to the reflection an ensemble of projects that incorporate a series of concerns, similar to the anounced in this work, deepening the knowledge of the area and serving as reference to the final porposal conception. As a complement of the reading and analisys of the area, a slight reflection about some inherent concepts about the architectual and urban practice was undertaken, such as context, memory and identity, considerating as well issues that should leed to the stategy's definition of a projetct of this nature. The solution presented in the end seeked to reflect all the subjective intentions of the autor sugested along the present work, pointing to a wide range of concerns and speculations about the urban condition of the location and ending up to be an great utility instrument to the comprehension of the area.