The former canning factory is part of the Matosinhos Sul Urbanization Plan by architect Álvaro Siza. Mostly destined for services and residential uses, ‘Fábrica de Conservas’ evokes the industrial and social nostalgia of a time of intense production and connection to the sea. The vitality and quality of the block’s interior is the starting point for the construction of an autonomous language that is essential for the future users and residents.
The existing and surrounding container is the raw material that generates a citadel from which, in the background, four bodies emerge that form an interior square. The thickness of the inherited mass is opposed by the intangibility of the suspended volumes on the patio, provided by a sense of light materiality inspired by its history. An operation to revamp and animate the block takes place, creating unity and reconciling different eras, compensating for the generalized urban densification.
Architect: OODADesign Team: Francisco Lencastre, Rodrigo Vilas-Boas, Julião Pinto Leite, Diogo Brito, João Jesus, Vânia Couto, Luís Carlos, Simão Mariz, Margarida D´Alte, Gonçalo Castro, and João OliveiraClient: Homing Homes, LdaPhotographer: Guilherme Oliveira / Gerardo Burmester
