Praça de Espanha Urban Park
Praça de Espanha, Lisbon
Shortlisted, International Competition
The project for the new urban park establishes an open and flexible structure, giving form to uncertainty through a framework capable of accommodating different and unforeseen uses over time. The Park is conceived as an open-ended landscape that can adapt to the changing needs and aspirations of the city and its inhabitants.
The project organises a green structure that defines the Park’s spatial and environmental framework, integrating pedestrian and transport networks, ecological and hydraulic systems, infrastructure, and areas for public use. This structure establishes new relationships between the Park and the wider city, while creating a distinctive landscape capable of supporting a variety of activities and environments.
Within this structure, a series of flexible clearings is proposed. Rather than assigning permanent uses to these spaces, they are designed to accommodate a wide range of programmes that can evolve over time, from temporary pavilions and cultural events to community gardens, sports facilities, cafés, and other activities. Around half of the area is intentionally left open to uses that can be defined and transformed according to the needs of the city.
This approach allows the Park to respond continuously to changing social and cultural needs without requiring major physical transformations. Ultimately, the Praça de Espanha Urban Park is conceived as a framework shaped by the city itself — a place capable of becoming whatever its users and community need it to be.
