The document presents a project proposal to revitalize Praça Marquês and surrounding areas in Aveiro, Portugal. The objectives are to reconnect the area with the natural surroundings, emphasize it as a connection between neighborhoods, and reuse important historic buildings. The proposals include creating pedestrian priority spaces, a legal graffiti area, upgrading fountains to link to nature, adding study spaces, designing interactive seating, adding a playground, and a transparent multi-use building. Lighting is also proposed to highlight the street at night and encourage activity. The overall goal is to activate underused public spaces and better connect the area.

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Mestrado em Planeamento Regional e Urbano
Espaço Público Urbano
Professore José Carlos Mota
Professore Frederico Moura E Sá
PROJECT FOR PRAÇA MARQUÊS AND SURROUNDINGS
AVEIRO
Lucrezia Castagnoli 79184
Patrizia Pilan 79220

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1. OBJECTIVES
• REVITALIZE “PRAÇA MARQUÊS”
• SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE BIG EMPTY SPACES
• REVALORIZE RUA DIREITA
• BRING PEOPLE IN THE OLD CITY CENTER
• CREATE A LINK WITH THE “PARQUE DE SANTO ANTONIO” AND THE “RIA”
• SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE WIND IN PRAÇA MARQUÊS
• EMPHASIZE THE CONNECTION WITH BAIRRO DO LICEU AND THE CITY CENTER
• REUSE EMTPY AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS
• CREATE ACTIVITIES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF USERS
• GIVE MORE IMPORTANCE TO THE PEDESTRIANS
• CREATE A SPACE FULL OF ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE OF
ALL AGE AND THE USUAL USERS

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2. ANALYSIS
Rua Direita is locaded in
the Bairro Storico of
Aveiro, between the
center and the
university, thus
becoming one of the
most useful and
important link for the
citizens crossing the
city.
Rua Direita was the first commercial street in the city, so it has a historical
importance.
The Rua Direita has two accesses: one from Avenida Santa Joana, the other from
Rua do Clube dos Galitos. Most of the part of Rua Direita is only for pedestrians
except for the entrance of underground parking, in the beginning of the rua in the
side of the Avenida Santa Joana.
The underground parking is under all the square at the side. In one side of the
square there is also another parking on the surface.
About the outside spaces: the Rua is
connected with two squares, the
one on the underground parking
with the police station and the civil
government, the other is the one
nearer the center and in which there
is the theatre of Aveiro.

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After an analysis in situ we understand the main problems and opportunities of this
street.
Both the two accesses are critical points because one is occupied for more than an
half with the underground parking entrance.
The other is in front of the roundabout and the underground access near the forum
is not well shown and caracterized.
The street is very used as a link between the center and the other part of the city
and a lot of people go throw the Rua, but almost all the shops are closed or dismiss
and also the houses are not populated. Only a few shop are still open and work, one
example of a still working place are the two bars in the square of the Governo Civil,
in which there was a lot of student sit . Both the two squares are huge empty space
with no specific caracterization and also few places to sit which are not well located
because they are just along the sides of the squares.
Another good point to notice is the presence of a lot of beautiful and historical
buildings which are not well enhanced.

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3. DIAGNOSTICS
We have analyzed the problems and the positivities of the area.
About the problems, one of the most visible is the main entrance on the rua Santa
Joana of the Praça Marquês, because of the presence of the access of the
underground car parking. There are difficulties for the pedestrians to walk near the
entrace in safety because of the presence of the cars.
Beside the entrance there is a big abandoned space closed with the panels full of
graffiti, and this is not well welcoming. About the praça itself the main negative
aspect is the huge empty space and the not well located fornitures, this makes the
area not comfortable and friendly for the users that can’t socialize and staying in
group.
About Rua Direita, the street is full of closed commercial activities and upper floors
aren’t inhabited and some building are in declining. The street is usually used only as
a crossing connection between the two part of Aveiro, because people are not
tempted to stay in, this happens mostly in the night.
Not all the commercial activities are closed or look old, few of them are involved in
social and artistic activities to improve the use of Rua Direita.
An other positive aspect is the presence of a lot of people in the square, but
concentrated in the only one cafè. This clearly shows that in the square there aren’t
activities, fornitures or closed spaces that encourage people to interact.
The presence of a lot important public buildings is another posivitive aspect, there is
an old fire station that is restored but it’s not used and also it is also very important
the Escola Básica 1º Ciclo De Glória, because it defines important users, the children
and their parents.
All Bairro Storico is full of historic and historic buildings to revitalize.

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4. PROGRAM
We have defined 3 main groups:
• ECO SYSTEM: The area is surrouded by natural elements. In the North there is the
Ria and in the West there is the Park of Santo Antonio. Our intention is to create link
with this important natural elements, bringing the water and the green in the
project and also solving the problem of the wind coming from the north.
• INFLUENCE: The Bairro Storico is a crucial neighborhood between the university,
the Bairro do Liceu and the city center. Our project want define an easy and clear
connection between these neighborhoods.
• FUNCTIONS AND IMPORTANT BUILDINGS: We studied all different functions on
the surrounding of the area and we have identified the buildings that are more
important for our project: the fire station and the school.

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5. PROPOSALS
We have elaborated a masterplan for our proposals.
To improve the connection with the other neighborhoods, we choose to make
pedestrians the most important users, enphatizing the crossing area of the road
Santa Joana with the same floor and trasform this part of the Avenida into a low
speed road as much as possible because there is the entrace/exit of the tunnel.
We remove most of the part of surface parking, leaving just a piece dedicated to
the parents of the students.

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To emphatize the sense of Rua Santa Joana and to close the project area, we put
a line of trees in the edge of the leaved parking.
To solve the problem of the main access to Praça Marquês, we create a only
flooring at the entrace of Rua Direita to give more importance at the pedestrians,
in the way that the cars have to slow down.
To converte the abbandoned space near the entrace we think about, taking in
account how it was used from people in the past, a space for leagal graffiti. This
space can improve the interaction between young people, it’s possible organize
challengins and galleries of the artistic work.

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To create a link with the natural elements, we decided to maintain the old project
about water and fountain but upgrade it and make it work.
To bring students in this area and create activities for them we think about the
creation of a light structure building dedicated for the study and work together in
relation to the “bombeiros” building which is convert in a study building too.
The light structure building is located in the way to solve the problem of the wind
coming from the North and it was composed by panels which can be moved and
positioned in different way, representing the works of the graffiti area.

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To improve the interaction and the communication of the users, we think about
the creation of particular benches that with their shapes, allow people to stay
together.
To create a link with the park, we create a green zone dedicated in part to the
children of the near school, in the area of the old surface parking.
To define the edges of the square and create a space to work, learn and interact,
we create a building, as much as possible transparent to create continuity along
all the project area. The shape and the material choosen permit that the users
from all the near accesses are invited and stimulated to go to the Praça.
This building can be used as a Fab Lab and Maker Space, considering that Aveiro is
an important technological center of Portugal, and these types of activities help
to learn about this and can be interesting for all type of users of different ages.

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The last point of the project is give more visibility at Rua Direita, expecially during
the night, because in this part of the day, a lot of people go across this street. We
decide to use a special paint that captures the sun light in the day, and releases
light during the night. This is a very cheap solution but that can make the Rua
Direita unforgettable.