IJUP08 - Universidade do Porto

The metamorphosis of Aleixo towers
A. Lima 1
1 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto, Portugal.
Aleixo is a social neighborhood that consists in a unique experience in the city of Porto.
The first drawings of the project date of 1968 and its construction was concluded in 1976.
It was designed for the reaccomodation of the families to displace from Ribeira-Barredo
during its renovation. The complex is composed of five towers with 13 floors each, whose
320 dwellings (two T2, two T3 and one T4 by floor) are organized around an open space
that ventilates and illuminates all the central part of the tower, where the vertical accesses
are located and where the kitchens, bathrooms and entrances turn to.
It is clear the gradual degradation of the construction, as well as the social degradation of
this complex through the years, while the polemic dicotomy demolition/non demolition has
been a constant.
The project of the transformation of the towers is based on the study Plus, les grands
ensembles de logements. Territoires d´exception that questions the public program lead in
France of demolishing many communal housing complexes built on the 1960s and 70s to
change their negative image. At the same time, this is also a stand-by solution for the
Aleixo social neighbouhood. The proposed project goes along with this manifest:
“We think that demolishing the existing would be aberrant and instead of that,
transforming it would permit a cheaper, effective and more quality answer to the existing
necessities. The architecture of these “grands ensembles” are often obsolete and generally
in inadequacy with the actual needs of the inhabitant. Yet we are convinced by the latent
potential of these architectures. The conservation and pertinent analysis of the structural,
geographic and spatial qualities of these important buildings could lead to a dramatic
transformation following radical objectives. These are to allow for the size of units to be
twice as generous, filled with natural light, allow for different and non typical typologies
of flats. To offer improved services and usages and to consider the quality of the interior
and common spaces as a priority over the urban gesture. These are the contemporary
aims.” [1]
The proposal of intervention in the towers can be seen as an example of a inovating
reutilisation that adapts to the existing (who knows the sketch of a new heritage?) and that
could ilustrate and be monitorised by the evolution of the urban policies.
References:
[1] Druot, Frédéric, Lacaton, Anne and Vassal, Jean – Phillipe, Plus, les grands ensembles de
logements. Territoires d´exception, Ministère de la Communication, Direction de Lárchitecture et
du Patrimoine, p.9
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