The resurrection of Campanhã

When the Campanhã trainstation was opened in 1877 it sparked a building drift of warehouses. The railway opened portals to new worlds and merchants saw opportunity. Now, 142 years later, Campanhã is not thriving in trade, economic wealth or building drift. Warehouses are in decay, public space is being 

neglected and vacant plots cover a large part of the area. Campanhã seems 

forgotten and without opportunity. 

Or is it? The area lies in the close vicinity of the station, connecting it to Porto via metro and to Portugal via train and busses. Vacant plots can be seen as potential building ground and warehouses in decay show opportunities for new entrepreneurship. What is more: inhabitants of Campanhã tend to be a happy people, be it not that their economic situation is of the worst seen in Porto. They live satisfied in their small homes, some of them in so called Ilhas. Many things can be said of Campanhã, but being shy of opportunity is not one of them. 

And now, opportunities rise. Invest Porto is looking for a place to create workspaces in order to attract ‘the work of the future’: creative industry, makers industry, start-ups in all kinds of workfields, offices and more. Needed is suited space to build or transform, provided is money. Where better to invest than in Campanhã. As said the area has opportunities and is very good reachable. Also entrepreneurship and work-focus is intertwined with the identity of Campanhã, the large diversity of warehouses and warehouse-owners as proof. Looking closer to the area we find a variety of warehouses with specific usages, outdoor space, accacibility, specific sizes and a variety of shapes. Can we use these warehouses to house ‘the work of the future’?

Based on the local warehouses of Campanhã a typology can be formed. One that can be used by many different kind of new workfields. The opportunities are uncountable. With it’s width of 11 meters and height of 8 meters this typology can be the base of a new modular system. A system able to fit in every part of Campanhã. With 4 steps a vacant plot or a series of warehouses can transform to a workblock that is fit for purpose. 

Included in these steps is the creation of quality public space. Plazas mark the entrances of these new workblocks. But not only that, they also provide in opportunities for inhabitants of Campanhã to sit, see, meet, talk, play or walk past. Therefore providing in this very important social space. Because in the end we are not talking about adding a certain amount of square meters to an area, we are talking about adding quality to (the life in) Campanhã.