From Utopia to Topical Experimentalism

As the planet becomes increasingly populated and urbanized, contemporary systems are rethought to integrate new spaces that enhance cities while respecting their preexisting layers. On a generic, utopian, and site-independent level, the cubic module is proposed as the elemental system. At an experimental stage, potential aggregations are adapted to the specific context. In Beato, near the former Military Maintenance area, ruptures and discontinuities persist between the religious and residential fabric, the industrialized landfill, and access to the riverside, occupied by the Port of Lisbon.

The project is structured around a 4x4x4 meter cubic module, designed to accommodate multiple functions: Housing, Public Space, and Infrastructure. Modular units reconfigure into varied typologies, generating diverse architectural possibilities. Developed within a conceptual grid, the urban strategy for Beato introduces an overlapping structure that connects existing infrastructural axes. An elevated circulation layer integrates with the city, redefining spatial flows and movement. Extending across the area adjacent to the former Military Maintenance complex, elevated pathways foster new programs that engage with the site’s historic-industrial fabric. Among the proposed modular aggregations, a mixed-use complex emerges from the interplay of solid and void. Programmatic volumes integrate residential, commercial, and service functions, while interstitial voids define landscaped spaces and circulation routes. Suspended volumes replace rigidly stacked levels, dissolving spatial hierarchies and shaping a dynamic, stratified urban experience. Spatial adaptability is prioritized, fostering diverse uses while enabling incremental transformations over time. The base module adapts in structure, infrastructure, and configuration, depending on its components and assemblies. In response to the industrial-port context, a metal framework serves as the primary construction system, supporting all modular configurations. Mediating between speculative exploration and site-specific adaptation, the project investigates the utopian potential of modularity through contextual experimentation, particularly within Lisbon’s evolving urban landscape.