Douro Marina | Barbosa & Guimarães Arquitectos

Foz do Douro,the magical place where the river mergeswith thesea, honoring the history and tradition of a people closely related to marine navigation, a private investor plans to build a new marina.

Installed at the edge of Gaia, this new equipmentclearly exceeds its nautical component, creating a set of complementary services and activities,relevant to the economic and social value of the urban area in which it belongs.

The organization and hierarchy of this new space is achieved through the implementation of three new buildings.

A linear building, which stretches along the existing car park, defining the boundary between pedestrian and automobile, in balance with two perpendicular buildings that are suspended in the slope, linking paths at the highest level with the existing marginal route atthe lower level.

Distributed by a two-storeyvolumetry, the longitudinal building integrates the reception, changing rooms, workshops, administration offices, secretarial, two training rooms, meeting roomand a set of commercial spaces.

The two perpendicular buildings, also with a two-storeyheight, will be occupied by a restaurant on the first building and a spa/gymin the second building.