Empty vacant. Redefining interior’s block voids in Guimarães

Empty vacant

Redefining interior’s block voids in Guimarães

João Martins Dias (UBI), Rita Ochoa (CIES.IUL/UBI), María Candela Suarez

(CITCEM.UP)

[email protected], +351 916200552

This paper aims to analyse how urban form can influence the

configuration of a project, based on the thesis "Vazios devolutos –

reinterpretações arquitectónicas em quarteirões do centro da cidade

de Guimarães", held at the Master Degree in Architecture from the

University of Beira Interior.

From a methodology strongly based on the contact with the

territory, through both insightful observation in situ and their

respective experiences, as a rigorous analysis of urban

morphology, later graphically systematized, were carried into

space: dubbed the "central block”.

It was also investigated the current needs of the space, upon which

was developed a subversion draft of the interior structure thereof.

After parallel analysis of current shortcomings in the city, a

program based on two fundamental assumptions was built: 1)

increased parking lot space and; 2) the introduction of public green

space in the urban environment.

The urban analysis will determine the resolution of the project,

whether by the underground floor (parking), that after a "cleaning"

mailto:[email protected]

J. Dias, R. Ochoa, M. Suaréz. Empty vacant - redefining interior’s block voids in Guimarães

21st International Seminar on Urban Form Our common future in Urban Morphology

of vacant buildings inside the block, it presents itself as a negative

of the new configuration limit, transposed to a new level; either by

the ground floor (public green space), which sees in all its new

extension a green flooring, occasionally marked by "carpets" of

different materials originated in the new areas of trade perimeter of

existing buildings on the block, as conjugates the memory of old

servitude pathways.

Key words: Guimarães, historic center, block, empty vacant,

architectural reinterpretation.



Introduction

One cannot propose an intervention on an historic city as

Guimarães without having in account: its people, its (mostly) urban

heritage preservation, about preserving the identity and the

patrimonial authenticity, or the continuity of essential long-term

continuities or even on the vernacular architecture. It is also

important to be able to deal with the integration of new ways of

thinking, new opportunities.

The responsible agencies for developing urban strategies on

Guimarães historic city center rehabilitation defended the ban on

demolition over concrete, safeguarding the city image, and

“forcing us” to [re]think today intervention in the area.

The characteristic protection of the intramural area on which the

Guimarães historic city center is in, is translated to the way the

streets and the buildings around appear. The block’s backyards and

the urban voids of this tight and special urban fabric are not

exception, presented then closed upon themselves, surrounded by

secular national heritage and punctually on vacant state.

This paper has as main objective the study of the distribution and

of the configuration of the sets formed by blocks and their intrinsic

“empty vacant”, in Guimarães historical center, as well as a

proposal of an architectural reinterpretation of a specific block.



Urban Morphology: The Block

The object of study – the block – is the main element on the

reflection around the reading and understanding of city’s image. It

is an element that can generate and be generated by the urban

fabric. Costa (2013: 123) points out its importance in “the local

implementation of certain model of society, in the design of

lifestyles, and in the conformation of the space and of the

architecture that builds the city”.

In order to understand how the city blocks appeared in our cities,

and influenced its urban fabric, it was explored a theoretical

framework, on “urban morphology. The block” theme was carried

on, through: 1) individual/comparative analysis and studies; 2)

case studies in different cities.

The first analysis aimed the block as a morphological element of

the city: a) the generic definitions of the block itself; b) setting its

morphological elements; c) and its typological evolution.

The morphological elements of the block

Assuming that architecture is what gives form to cities, and

following theoretical urbanism planners, the morphological

elements of the block are (Lamas, 2011): a) the street; b) the



façade; c) the building; d) the backyard (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Morphological elements of the block: street, façade,

building, backyard (author’s scheme).

Typological evolution of the block

In order to understand the contemporary blocks, we used a

typological evolution of it, as an understanding tool. So, we chose

6 types, that represents the major changes through time: the greek

block, the roman block, the medieval block, the renaissance

block, the industrial block and the vertical/modernist block (Fig.

2).

The morphological evolution of the block over time was either

associated with its urban evolution, or with the urgent need to

rebuild the city.

Figure 2. Typological evolution of the block (author’s scheme).



When it comes to issues of permeability, geometry, public/private,

and the use of the limit perimeter area and its interior, the

configuration of different types of block and its interior space is a

literal response to the needs of the time. Although it is a

complementary space, the backyard plays a peripheral extension of

buildings, without liability to the public space. The intervention in

an area with these characteristics must be taken as a new way.

Case studies

This part of the investigation consists on the identification and the

interpretation of a set of case studies, which in their nature include

a physical occupation of the block where the interventions have a

subversion of the regular structure of the interior of the block. The

four examples were chosen according criteria of differentiation in

the settlement of the block itself, including its permeability.

This analysis does not aim to make a complete presentation of the

project but make known types of intervention of this type of sets,

adopting a graphic and abstract analytical model.

In order to arrange these examples, an identity characterization (a

keyword) was created, for each one. This analysis has in account

key points such as densification, flow and permeability of each

case.



1) “PRESERVATION”

(Quarteirão Império, Block conversion, Chiado,

Lisboa,Portugal, Arch. Gonçalo Byrne)

Figure 3. Graphical representation of Quarteirão Império (author’s

photographs and scheme).

















2) “FENDER”

(Rue des Suisses, Housing + Offices + Parking, Paris, France,

Arch. Herzog & de Meuron)

Figure 4. Graphical representation of Rue des Suisses (author’s

photographs and shceme).



2) “FENDER”







2) “FENDER”







3) “WEB”

(FÜNF HÖFE, Block conversion, Theatinerstraße, Munchie,

Alemanha, Arch. Herzog & de Meuron)

Figure 5. Graphical representation of Fünf Höfe (author’s




3) “WEB”







3) “WEB”







4) “GATE”

(Library, eldery and public space, Block conversion, Barrio

Sant Antoni, Barcelona, Spain, Arch. RCR)

Figure 6. Graphical representation of RCR library (author’s




4) “GATE”







4) “GATE”







Guimarães urban development

The intervention in a pre-existence requires an attitude of

preservation. The preservation of cultural and historical heritage of

a city retains the longevity of the memory of the local people and

the actions and interventions in this, are what shape it and keep it

“alive”, through time.

The study of Guimarães’ urban evolution is intended to help in

conducting a clearer thought and action.

Mattoso (2002) identifies 6 different stages on the evolution of the

city (Fig. 7): 1) the “Bipolarization” (950-1279); 2) the “Gothic

union” (1279-1498); 3) the “Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque

Requalification” (1496-1750); 4) The “Rococo, Pombalin and

Neoclassical Reform” (1750-1863); 5) the “Eclecticism and

Industrial expansion” (1853-1926); 6) the “Modern-monumental

magnification and renewal” (1926-1974).



Figure 7. Urban development of Guimarães (author’s scheme).

The contemporary city

Since 1985, and as a response to the management of the recovery

process from the historic center, Guimarães has a municipal office

responsible for this task (a.k.a. GTL).

Along with the recovery process, the objective of maintaining the

resident population and the preservation/restoration of the

authenticity of the ways to intervene in the heritage, make part of

the scope of GTL. It was intended that operations undertaken by

GTL had an exemplary character, thus constituting pedagogical



























instruments and incentives to private enterprise in the rehabilitation

of the historic center.

The GTL, through both internal and central government financing,

has structured a set of action that, in addition to the buildings, also

focuses on public spaces as a method to induce private capital

investment in buildings of those areas.

According to the City Council, while maintaining a specific

character of the different epochs of the evolution of the city

readable in various architectures, registration matrices and new

designs of public spaces, interventions in public spaces gives them

greater dignity also through the introduction of new infrastructure

structures.

Through the rehabilitation of public spaces, squares and wide

streets are returned to the city and to its inhabitants and visitors,

that with the continued growth of the city had turned into chaotic

parking spaces. Currently, 90% of intramural public spaces are

already rehabilitated, mainly areas for pedestrians, motorized

pathways and streets with side parking areas. These actions

constitute a valuable contribution for the authenticity that has

maintained/replaced but also to reinstate the historic city as a

cultural meeting place with self-identity.

But Guimarães city council also reports all the current problems in

the city, in order to show their future intentions and to improve



inhabitants’ quality lifetime.

Two of them that captured our attention, due not only to high

priority need of action: the lack of public green spaces in the city,

as well as the lack of parking spaces.

INTERVENTION – proposal for new green public urban

space and parking lot inside a block

The last part of this paper aims to present a practical response to

the problems previously reported in the city of Guimarães. The

methodology for this part lays in the characterization of the site,

through a morphological analysis of the object of study, the

presentation of its current status and then the presentation of the

intervention developed.

The project-oriented approach as a result of the combination of the

initial phase of theoretical research of the evolution of the block,

with the analysis of four case studies; the urban development of

Guimarães; and the account of the current problems of the urban

fabric (lack of green space and parking).

This consists in the development of a strategy for rehabilitation of

block voids that pretends to be a plan to revitalize these spaces,

applied at an early stage to a single block, and should be

understood as a starting point and help for future analysis or



proposal development. This strategy is intended to be extended and

applied to other city blocks.

As mentioned before, the city of Guimarães suffered a major

investment in infrastructure level on time of industrial reform

(1850-1900) and therefore a large and disproportionate growth to

its peripheral area.

The peripheral expansion relieved not only the city center traffic,

but also, with the construction of new public use equipment, the

city center importance, that lately started being uninhabited, started

decreasing.

Guimarães is also characterized by a strong investment in

traditional trading and has gradually suffer from this problem,

manifesting itself not only by the abandonment of inhabitants of

the historic center, but also of traders disgusted with the lack of

movement and high rates rental of their stores.

The programmatic objective of the intervention enshrined as

fundamental points of intervention: 1) the cleansing and

revitalizing the 'core' of the block; 2) recovery and increase of

green areas; 3) systematic urban rehabilitation unit; 4) improving

relations with the traditional trade; 5) the introduction of parking

lot space; 6) to be a future recovery booster of existing buildings

with architectural interest and value.



The “Central Block”

The block that was chosen to be intervened (Fig. 8) is located in

the central area of the city, in the parish of São Paio, develops in

approximately 2.48 ha and is bounded by the following arteries:

Rua de Santo António; Largo Navarros de Andrade; Rua Gil

Vicente; Rua Paio Galvão and Largo do Toural. The criteria used

to select the block to be operated upon were the location - this is

close to the historic center, where parking supply is considerably

less; and its configuration - by its size, its uses and permeability.

Also in relation to location, the proximity to the historic center

gains importance when reflected on the issue of parking and green

spaces.

Figure 8. Aerial view of “central block” (author’s scheme).














spaces.















spaces.




Starting from one of the main objectives of this work, the

development of an intervention strategy in a set of blocks, with

detail of an architectural reinterpretation proposal on a specific

block, the survey and characterization of the object are tailored to

the scale of detail that this intervention reaches.

Thus, and on an assumed plastic shed, natural photographic

surveys of each street, supplemented with information about the

current uses of the buildings will be presented (Fig. 9). With these

analysis we intend to essentially realize the current configuration

of streets and buildings (forming the block).

Figure 9. Example of urban form analysis (author’s scheme).

The retaining of the analyses of streets bounding the block, and

applied to the question of the block configuration, is essentially the

size of the object in question, to be sufficient to accommodate a car



































park and generous public green space. Also documented in street

analysis, is the fact that the entire ground floor of the block is

occupied by buildings for the services and / or trade, but also

occasionally by vacant buildings. The fact that the object in

question has old servitude paths in its interior, was also a

configuration criterion for the choose. Openings are “tunnels” that

tear ground floor buildings, in order to access its interior and to

enjoy these shortcuts (even if you have to “break in” some private

properties).

Current situation

The “central” block consists of 68 buildings. Apart from these,

there is an amalgam of others, which were built by the owners of

the first ones - sheds, outbuildings, factories (now made car

garages), warehouses and paths of servitude - sometimes as an

extension of own home, or as support for other activities (Fig. 10).

Figure 10. Layers of constructions on “central” block (author’s

scheme).











properties).

Current situation







scheme).











properties).

Current situation







scheme).



As demonstrated above, the 'central' block is permeable, to the

extent that there are now ways of public servitude which are

understood as shortcuts between streets opposite the block. In

addition to the permeability question, are the constructions on old

backyards (which can be difficult to access by other inhabitants)

that will be shown below (Fig. 11).

Figure 11. Example of access tunnels to the blocks’ interior

(author’s photographs).























Cleaning

The first step after an analysis of the block and of its elements,

towards the intervention, the main objective was to building the

'core'/void of the same. Considering first the nature of them - the

fact that they were built in ancient spaces, or appropriations by the

perimeter buildings - and later its uses, it was decided (by the

author), the total demolition of the same (Fig. 12).

Since hennery, to vehicles garages, or even a factory quenched

with approximately 2000m2 area of deployment, these buildings

are strongly characterized by a poor state of repair.

Figure 12. Axonometric representation of final block cleansing

(author’s drawing).



Cleaning














Cleaning














Proposal

The proposed revitalization for the block is, as previously stated,

the resolution of problems of the current urban fabric. The

configuration and location of the studied block, along with the

introduction of the new program, , allows not only to reclaim

unused spaces; it also aims to improve the day-to-day lives of

residents / visitors; the enhancement of the existing public space;

and a better relationship with traditional commerce (via their

ennoblement, or the strengthening of its symbolism and historical

identity).

The constructive concept basis of the project shall take the

cleaning done in the 'core' of the block and transpose it to the new

underground car park. Through this step, the interior facades of

buildings are delimiters, while defining identity to the new space,

with only adjustments in nonsense situations (Fig. 13).

Figure 13. Ground level and underground level configuration

(author’s drawings).



Proposal









identity).










Proposal









identity).










This action of extending interior façade walls’ base lines few

meters below ground bring the block to the park, although

underground and away from all outside movement, has its limits in

an urban form common in the city of Guimarães – the irregularity

of an urban front.

Admittedly, and as a further attempt to return old living spaces to

the block’s interior, the natural slope of the ground floor terrain

was also transposed (distance parallel) to the floor of the new

parking lot. This decision facilitates access to the park because all

the ramps have the same slope, since the height inside the park is

the same regardless of the dimension of the street outside we meet

up.

The block’s permeability, previously marked by informal access,

now becomes a key point in the project. The old tunnels have now

been improved, allowing not only direct pedestrian access to the

interior of the block, as they are ramps to the underground floor.

As mentioned before, one of the criteria for choosing this

particular block was due to the fact that the entire ground floor is

occupied by buildings devoted to commerce / services. This

applies now in the proposal stage, to the extent that, by making the

'core' of the low block accessible to all, being totally clean, allows

all buildings of this type to gain a second front for the public space.

In the case of these spaces are buildings dedicated to commerce,



the new front opening allows a new area available for opening

terraces, which in all cases is not possible for the outdoor street.

These buildings are now referred to as "carpet-buildings".

The ground floor urban treatment consisted on pavement

processing, green landscape, permeable entries and vertical access

boxes to the car park. Also in relation to commerce-dedicated

buildings, these were chosen as the subject of another of the main

concepts of the project – “the carpet-buildings”. As the natural

unfolding of a carpet after its acquisition, from the back (interior

façades of the block) of these buildings, a different pavement

arises, guided by the limits of each building, until the building on

the interior block opposite façade. This space is essentially

reserved for the placement of these terraced buildings (Fig. 14).

Figure 14. Urbanistic treatment of ground floor (author’s drawing).



































The used materials intend to continue the identity and the memory

of the ones used originally around the block. We are faced with

three different types of materials: cobblestone, screed and lawn.

On the ground floor level, almost all of the area, resort to the use

of gardens, that are being cut by the 'carpets', initially 'unfold' of

the rear of the buildings in cobblestone, changing to screed, when

in turn, these intersect the openings for natural underground

lightning on slab (Fig. 15).

Figure 15. Openings for underground natural lightning (author’s

drawings).

The slab dividing the two levels work as a dual structure: a first

that connects from the block's buildings and stops in tears and a

second (larger) to complete the entire interior of the “core” of the

block. Both work as green roofs, planned to drain away rainwater

(Fig. 16).












drawings).





(Fig. 16).












drawings).





(Fig. 16).



Figure 16. Final ground floor solution (author’s drawing).

Conclusion

With the developed proposal, we had shown how urban form can

influence the configuration of a project. This proposal also raised

important issues related to the experience of contemporary cities,

including the appropriations and the uses to which its inhabitants

make of urban spaces.

The abandonment of the historic centers by their users, situation

that belongs to a cycle connoted with political, social and

demographic change, causes morphological structures, their

heritage, their identity and its people, to be forgotten and only

recorded in the memory of those who lived them.

In the case of a city such as Guimarães, which has agencies




Conclusion















Conclusion














responsible for developing strategies for the historic center; and for

which interest has been shown (first with the appointment of

Cultural Heritage by UNESCO ®, then with the European Capital

of Culture, and more recently with the European Capital of Sport),

as well as investment, this process has to be caught and new

solutions created.

One of the solutions addressed in this paper involves the raw

analysis to places that lost their identity over time, either through

lack of interest, or a wrong appropriation. This results in problems

that need to be clogged, in order to give back its initial strength.

The specific case here focused, in which a void of a completely

uncharacteristic block, became not only a driver of change in the

surrounding, as returned strong past development factors, helped

us to realize how a city dweller can respond to a series of reported

problems, turning it into a future high interest practical application.

References

Costa, J. P. (2013) ‘O quarteirão. Elemento experimental no

desenho da cidade contemporânea’, in Dias Coelho, C. (coord.) Os

elementos urbanos. Cadernos de Morfologia Urbana. Estudos da

cidade portuguesa, Vol. 1 (Argumentum, Lisboa) 122-143.



Lamas, J. M R. G. (2011) ‘Morfologia Urbana e Desenho da

Cidade’. (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa)

Mattoso, J. et all (2002) ‘Guimarães Património Cultural da

Humanidade’ (Câmara Municipal de Guimarães-GTL, Guimarães).

Illustration’s captions

Figure 1. Morphological elements of the block: street, façade,

building, backyard (author’s scheme).

Figure 2. Typological evolution of the block (author’s scheme).















scheme).









drawings).


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Empty vacant. Redefining interior’s block voids in Guimarães

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