Technological Park of Óbidos / Jorge Mealha

Architect Jorge Mealha shared with us the winning design of the public tender of ideas for the architecture of the central buildings and exterior of the Technological Park of Óbidos in Portugal. The proposal tries to suggest the memory of existing and relevant structures in the territory of the region. From the outside only, a long and narrow textured strip is perceived over the natural landscape, evoking those long external walls seen in a few farms, convents and monasteries who punctuate this territory. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Courtesy of Jorge Mealha

Underneath this perceived body, the two ground floor buildings almost disappear as such, integrated in the landscape of the place. The facade of those two covered bodies, a rusty and perforated textured metal surface with allusive and natural motifs, defines the built limits of the main external and convivial space.

Courtesy of Jorge Mealha

A pure form, a voided square, floats over this central external space defining its limits and framing the views to the surrounding landscape and buildings. All public spaces –auditorium, restaurant, shops, library– are purposely located at ground floor in order to enhance public realm. Some workshop spaces are also located at ground floor aiming to suggest possible relations with the external public spaces reinforcing conviviality. All the other working areas –offices, open space, meeting rooms, workshops– are at first floor. This voided square, almost closed to the outside and open to the inside, proposes a flexible grid in order to organize the program, aiming a great amount of freedom concerning changes in space uses.

Architect: Jorge Mealha
Location: Óbidos, Portugal
Team: Andreia Baptista (Project Leader), Diogo Oliveira Rosa, Filipa Ferreira da Silva
Technical Installations: Rodrigues Gomes & Associados – Consultores de Engenharia, S.A.
Structures: SE – Serviços de Engenharia
Landscape: Arch. Marisa Lavrador
Gross building surface: 4096m2
Plot Area: 17000m2