The Funchal Multipurpose Pavilion forms part of an urban intervention project that seeks to break down the existing isolation of the Technopole. It does this by incorporating the Technopole into an urban web that is capable of handling the substantial traffic pressure generated by the attraction itself, thereby facilitating road and pedestrian access and overall mobility at both the local and the regional levels.
The building is situated in a very enclosed valley with a steep north/south incline, and the site as a whole is bordered by roads to the north, east and west.
Our proposal is intended to take advantage of the difference in elevations (24 m), by creating two distinct access zones that structure the building’s functional organisation. The lower level contains the service areas and the access for heavy goods vehicles, as well as a large hoist. The upper level includes the main arena, the secondary hall, the support areas (for artists, athletes, the media…) and a public gallery. The gallery is divided by glass panels into an indoor area and a covered outdoor area, and surrounds the arena and contains the various points of entry to the building itself. On the upper level a 55-metre span bridge completes the circle which the main public gallery forms around the main hall. On the lower level the bridge can either separate the main hall from the secondary one, or if necessary link them together, using two movable screen walls.
The interior spaces were designed to respond to the organisational/space requirements posed by the different types of event – sports, performing arts, and exhibitions.
The building’s roof, which is covered in a metallic material, plays an exceptionally important role in providing a continuity that is adapted to the terrain and can be seen from higher locations around the Pavilion.
Funchal Multipurpose Pavilion
Location
Funchal, Madeira
Client
Sociedade Metropolitana de Desenvolvimento, S.A.
Date
2004 – ...
Architects
Manuel Salgado, Jorge Estriga and João Almeida
Build Area
50.000 m2
Cost
36.297.000 €
Competition 1st prize
Under construction
