24H competition 36th edition – bridge

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“A bridge should be more than a passage, it must relate with its destinations maintaining its identity. This competition revealed interesting solutions, not only of what a bridge is, but more importantly, what can it be through inventive and innovative eco-friendly structures.” Ana Lagoa, arch.

 

“The proposals submitted to the competition reveal the participants' willingness to reinvent the figuration and consequent configuration of the bridge as an element built in the crossing between two banks.

The purposeful dimension of the various proposals submitted to the competition reveals a willingness to question how to think about the bridge, pointing to a reinterpretation and integration of other types of programs that give this typology an absolute contemporaneity and reinvent its configuration. This programmatic and environmental miscegenation leads to architectural objects that indelibly mark the landscape, read in their crossings as well as from both sides.” Pedro Lebre, arch.

 

 

“The approach in general, in these flash competitions for young architects, works as a sensor of new trends, proven by the result in the search for new healthier and more contemplative ways of life, of the landscape integrating nature with history, and icons of tradition.

In addition to these ecological challenges focused on sustainability typical of the times in which we live, the individual's struggle for uniqueness needs themes that immediately locate and convey consistency to the intervention, making the search for local support icons for a strong concept almost mandatory.

When the vast majority of international competitors, in this contest, base the concept of projects on identity themes as superficial as sardines, tiles, fado, or even the old Lisbon aqueduct, all icons of the city explored to exhaustion for the last decade of urban tourism, where only the Belém Tower or the yellow tram 28 was missing, reveals very small vices of the trends in contemporary fast food architecture, in contrast to the great movements of architecture in the past that moved more by striking common languages ​​supported by unifying ideals .

Anyway, these quick architecture exercises are excellent forms of expression where exceptional ideas are revealed in solutions that, after being well matured, -deeply worked by multipurpose teams, would be a maximum exponent of contemporary architecture and the best contribution to the places, revealing the best can be produced in 2021.” Jorge Palma, arch.

 

 

 

Winners

 

1st PLACE - ID000870:

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“The margins that yearn to be united and, in the bridge, formed, other worlds are created with margins so that they can and wish to be united. A bridge is a suspension stage of a before and an after, on a razor's edge that creates a desire to cross because it is a journey that can always have multiple views.” Mário Chaves, arch.

 

​ “Conceptually rich, the “slow down around” bridge embodies a unique symbiosis between an iconic and historical reference and the preservation of the Portuguese natural heritage. The solution presented, as a very strong visual presence, The Dome inevitably refers to futuristic scenarios for the preservation of the biosphere. Interesting form of interconnection of the three elements, communication, promenade and sphere.”  Ana Lagoa, arch.

 

​"The proposal has as generating and propositional elements the line and sphere that create a particular component of the landscape and the development of the crossing between margins. The bridge gains a volume suspended on the water plane, giving it constructive complexity and a particular moment of enjoying its relationship with the water's horizontal plane. At the crossing speed, time is diverted and simultaneously encapsulated in a crystalline volume where nature is suspended.” Pedro Lebre, arch.

 

"Being made of recycled materials this project reduces the need for raw materials, saves energy and reduces gas emission. All of these aspects are not only important for budgeting but above all keep future generations in mind".” Inês Estradas, arch.

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2nd PLACE - ID000310:

 

"Bridges can be worlds in suspension, with their realities, with lives that happen daily, in varied scenarios, and consequent on the multiple lives that each citizen has on the bridges that they continually want to build with everyone else. A man alone is nothing, and he is only a man in his humanity if he makes the bridges, maintains them, and does not destroy them. This bridge is synonymous with the construction of social life.” Mário Chaves, arch.

 

​“A complex project with a strong an essential social component. It presents an interesting solution to inhabit the bridge and enrich a moment as ephemeral as the crossing. Of note is the hierarchy of the different means of transport, although claustrophobic, mainly in commercial and collective transport. Being a tunnel, it could very well be underground, with only towers emerging from the river, the city would certainly win.” Ana Lagoa, arch.

 

"The bridge reconfigured in a habitable structure is a proposal that proposes another level of approach to the questions that are posed to architecture in contemporary times. The bridge as a non-place reinvents itself and gains a new dimension of place and society.

The proposal presented reveals a complex and dense object built in the landscape and becomes an inhabited object allowing new experiences and another look on the margins.” Pedro Lebre, arch.

 

"Multiple use is very well addressed.” Inês Estradas, arch.

 

​"A surprising intervention motivated by social concerns in the search for solutions for homeless people results in a bridge as a structuring trunk for its complex modular system in which the residential units accumulate like mussels growing around the nuclear structure.

The result is a fascinating crossing, channeled through an inner transport tunnel, revealing a complex formal language of a densely inhabited city on the river, enjoying splendid views that advancing towards its construction would end up as hotels for tourists or luxury residences to the detriment of the original concept.” Jorge Palma, arch.

 

 

3nd PLACE - ID000680:

 

"Man is the perfect design of divine creation; dinosaurs were the biggest mistake. But man feels he is master of the world, and we gradually assume that the Earth is a mere working tool for us to go to the Cosmos, on the way to the Stars where the dust that gave life to our molecules came from. In our guaranteed home, we use and abuse. It is stunning to build a bridge between the banks burnt by greed and create a bridge of trees that can be a habitat for many beings - vegetation and animals, who live with us on this blue planet.”  Mário Chaves, arch.

 

​“This innovative structure offers a sustainable solution to potentially preserve the biodiversity of the Tagus River estuary, creating a unique park without compromising mobility, but enriching it. With an elegant use of Portuguese tiles as inspiration. The slender movement across the river reinforces the ecological concern, while creating a strong landmark.” Ana Lagoa, arch.

 

​"The proposal reveals a delicate curvilinear development along the river and along the banks, combined with the delicacy of the reticulated structure that surrounds and anchors it in the Tagus water.” Pedro Lebre, arch.

 

"The work of art of tiling adds up to represent the Country.” Inês Estradas, arch.

 

"Azuleroad is an excellent contemporary architecture project that impresses with its presentation and development in such a short time. The approach in general, in these flash competitions for young architects, works as a sensor of new trends proven by the result in the search for new healthier and more contemplative ways of life, of the landscape integrating nature with history, and icons of tradition.

In addition to these ecological challenges focused on sustainability typical of the times in which we live, the struggle of projects for uniqueness needs themes that immediately locate and transmit consistency to the intervention, making the search for local support icons for a strong concept almost mandatory.

Solution very well achieved in line with the majority of the interventions presented to the competition in which many of the international competitors, base the concept of the projects on themes of rapid identity such as the tile, unlike the great movements of architecture in the past that moved more by striking common languages supported by unifying ideals. Either way, they generate revealing and strong solutions when the theme dissolves in the life of the project with maturation” Jorge Palma, arch.

 

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