METRO DO PORTO in Oporto, Portugal by Eduardo Souto de Moura

Article source: Eduardo Souto de Moura

The poet Pablo Neruda, when he was to receive the Nobel Prize, included in his speech of thanks a short quotation from Rimbaud: “…at dawn, armed with an ardent patience, we shall enter the splendid cities”.

Image Courtesy © Luís Ferreira Alves

• Architects: Eduardo Souto de Moura
• Project: METRO DO PORTO
• Location: Oporto, Portugal
• Photography: Luís Ferreira Alves
• Project: 1997
• Construction: 2005
• Client: Metro do Porto
• General contractor: Transmetro, S.A
• Architectural Team       
  • Coordinator: Arq. Adriano Pimenta
  • Collaborators: Arq. André Campos, Arq. Ricardo Tedim, Arq. Eduardo Carrilho, Arq. Joana Pinho, José Carlos Mariano, Arq. Bernardo Durão, Arq. Diogo Crespo, Arq. Manuel Pais Vieira, Arq. Nuno Flores, Arq. Nuno Lopes, Arq. Tiago Coelho, Arq. Tiago Figueiredo, Aqr. Eduardo Pereira, Pedro Chimeno,  Soares da Costa – Gabinete de Projectos

Image Courtesy © Luís Ferreira Alves

• Foundations  and structural Consultants               
  • CENOR – Projectos de Engenharia, Lda.
  • COBA – Consultores para Obras, Barragens e Planeamento, S.A.
  • CJC – Engenharia e Projectos, Lda.
  • VIA PONTE – Projectos e Consultoria de Engenharia, Lda.
• Hydraulic Consultant:  FASE – Estudos e Projectos, S.A.
• Construction Consortium: Normetro ACE
• Electrical consultants: Balfour Beatti Company / EFACEC
• Mechanical consultants: Balfour Beatti Company / EFACEC        
• Civil Construction: Transmetro (Soares da Costa, Somague, Impregilo)
• Power and Electrification: Balfour Beatty Rail
• Rail Signalling System and Vehicles: Bombardier Transportation
• Management Operation and Maintenance: Transdev
• Concept Engineering: Semaly
• Building size: 60 km of railway and 69 Stations

Image Courtesy © Luís Ferreira Alves

When we go down the Av. República in the morning, coming from St. Ovídio, and cross the Luís I bridge, “…armed with an ardent patience, we shall enter the splendid cities, Porto”.The NORMETRO, not having amongst its priorities a poetic vocation, set out to include that quality in the project for the surface metro system.

Image Courtesy © Luís Ferreira Alves

Initially it seemed almost impossible to make the rigorous technical specifications which determine the system compatible with the dramatic topography of the historic centre of the city. However, during the course of the project we became convinced of its feasibility.With the evolution of the project something that might have been an obstacle – a closed and unaccomodating system – was transformed into a factor for the redesign of the city.

Image Courtesy © Luís Ferreira Alves

Minor changes in the levels of the streets and adjustments to the correspondence of slopes, pavements, gardens, trees, street furniture and lighting are some of the aspects of regrading that the surface metro line suggested and which the city needed and we could not put off for the future.

Image Courtesy © Luís Ferreira Alves

Image Courtesy © Eduardo Souto de Moura

Image Courtesy © Eduardo Souto de Moura

Tags: Oporto, Portugal

Category: Metro Station

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