Port of Vigo

  • Vigo, Spain
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Continuity between a city and its port

 

To bring the city to the port and the port to the city, such is the objective of this project. The city of Vigo is not the first to attempt the challenge. Its neighbours La Corugna and Marseille are examples of this and are in full alteration. Barcelona and Genoa in Italy are both considered a success today.

Vigo must not miss the opportunity to make its mark.

Today, the transformation is well underway. The city has turned itself towards the port, which welcomes it with open arms. The creation of the tunnel under the port, the redevelopment of the ‘Calle’ of Montero Rios and the creation of the commercial centre highlight a real determination to connect these two areas. The city and the port have always evolved on contradictory terms and have often been separated by a restricting administrative barrier.

It’s a historic time and the stakes are high.

We propose to make the port area a new region of the city. It will be a district in the urban sense of the word with its own life, activities, spirit and focus. The thinking behind it can not be uniquely architectural and programmatic. It must anchor itself deep in the culture and essence of Vigo city as well as in its identity.

In order to propose a logical plan adapted to the situation of this harbour city one must understand Vigo and its geographical relationship to the sea, the tides and the cruise boats that, like floating buildings, pull away from the port.

One must really contemplate the layout of the port and quays in a sense of continuity. One must also characterise the site by its substance, amplify the perception of the landscape and play with the contrasts and the changes in scale. These are some of the themes by which we will tackle the set of problems posed by the project of developing the Port of Vigo.