Loures Riverfront

Loures, Portugal

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Loures Riverfront

Loures, Portugal

Firm

TOPIARIS Landscape Architecture

Type

Landscape + Planning › Public Park Urban Green Space

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

1,000,000 +

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

Photos

João Guimarães - jg.photography (22)

Loures Riverfront unfolds along the marshland ecosystem of the Tagus River, offering an 85-hectare greenway park, and providing a connection to the riverside, and featuring a 6,2km wooden boardwalk, completed with bird observation points, resting areas, fishing piers and shaded tunnels. It offers different opportunities for rest, leisure and sports, while allowing an immersion within the natural landscape.
The initial premise of Loures Riverfront was to complete the intermunicipal trail continuity, connecting Lisbon to Vila-Franca-de-Xira, a strategic plan for a continuous greenway along the Tagus Riverfront, Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
It aims to connect to urban areas, till then isolated by roads and railway from the river. The trail is an important mobility infrastructure, a daily commuter matrix, contributing to CO2 emissions reduction and upgrading people lives. Complying with regulations on pedestrian accessibility, became an inclusive route.
Site revealed a surprising landscape: a mosaic of natural ecosystems along with highly urbanized zone, though inaccessible. Just minutes away from densely populated neighbourhoods, mudflats, salt marshes, native reed beds exist, supporting rich flora and fauna. Hence, protected under various national and international legislation: Sites of Community Importance, Special Protection Areas, and National Ecological Reserves.
Refusing being just a link, the project encourages a slower experience of the environment, creating a unique walkway. It invites visitors to observe the birds, rest, overlooking the river, and immerse themselves in the sounds of the marsh, raising public awareness for the importance of estuarine ecosystems and ocean management.
Loures Riverside trail stretches for 6.2 km along the bank of Tagus River. Inspired by meandering drainage lines, the trail avoids straight lines in favour of a gentle, curving path, allowing habitats observation from different viewpoints.
The entire path consists of a raised wooden boardwalk on a stilt foundation, 3.50m wide, to accommodate both pedestrian and cycling traffic. Its variable elevation (1 to 5,50m above ground level), allows for the free flow of water, protecting this structure from flooding while simultaneously offering diverse experiences. Its wavy pattern enables to experience river’s margins, mudflat areas, interior marshes, warranting full conservation.
The design approach supported by an undulating vertical and horizontal pattern, results simultaneously in a strategy that minimizes negative impacts concerning tide water flowing or permanent shade on the habitats.
Five OBSERVATION AND REST AREAS slightly suspended off the main path, offer a break from the journey to visitors. Equipped with benches and bird observation counters, shaded by a wooden structure, that reduces the temperature during the summer months, provide comfortable places to stay. In between, twelve SHADING TUNNELS offer a protected stretch for both pedestrians and cyclists, allowing a moment to slow down and pause for contemplation.
Restored from the site industrial past, 2 concrete PIERS are integrated with the boardwalk, offering access to the river, a spot for local fishermen.
The Tagus Circle forms a perfect loop and was created to experience these diverse ambiences, bringing the Tagus for public pleasure.
Site works followed rigorous protocols. Comprehensive precautionary measures were foreseen: strict delimitation of the construction corridor, minimizing the disruption of habitats. Landscape restoration actions also included the reintroduction of salt marsh vegetation.
Strategically placed signage reveals particularities of the estuary ecosystem. Visitors can, through a landscape experience, understand the crucial role of salt marshes and its relationship with main current environmental challenges: climate change, sea rise level, biodiversity conservation.