De Eugene Henard às Rotundas Portuguesas

Abstract

This work will be developed within the scope of the subject of study of Urban Planning, setting out from a previously studied object included in the Final Exam "Espaços de Urbanidade - Rotundas como caso de estudo" - the roundabout. In this case, a more historical approach was taken, in an attempt to understand how Eugéne Hénard, French architect and author of modern roundabout may have influenced the appearance of portuguese roundabouts. The aim of this project is to understand the importance of Eugéne Hénard within the subject of study of Urban Planning, and to perceive how his studies might have influenced city design and city planning, mainly where portuguese roundabouts are concerned. The work methodology will include documental and bibliographical research on Eugéne Hénard and on his urban planning studies. To understand the impact of Eugéne Hénard ́s studies on 20th Century Urban Planning, three pertinent and unequivocal general case-studies were chosen - Daniel Burnham ́s plan for Chicago, Walter Griffins plan for Canberra and the Agache Plan for Rio de Janeiro. As for the Portuguese case, and because several roundabouts had already been studied in the previous work, it was decided that this work would focus on the two most important and significant cases in Portugal - the Rotunda da Boavista Roundabout in Oporto and the Rotunda do Marquês de Pombal in Lisbon. Eugéne Hénard's influence is perceptible in various projects and urban plans of the time, most significant of which are his studies in circulation and city infrastructure systems. Nevertheless, the process of introducing roundabout circulation systems in Portugal was not similar to the international processes studied, and which were developed according to Eugéne Hénard ́s studies, but were likened to the Parisian and Catalan processes. In this case, roundabouts emerge firstly associated to spaces of road dynamics distribution linked to the new boulevards. Only later on is the roundabouts traffic rationalization plan, created by Eugéne Hénard, put into action.