Porto Cruz Mixed Use Complex
Oeiras, Portugal
Client
Private
Role
Lead Design Architect
Team
Laith Sayigh, Ugur Imamoglu, S+A
Type
New Construction
Program
Mixed-Use; Residential, Commercial, Retail & Culture; Public Space
Status
Proposal 2024
Size
79,000 SQM
About the Project
This project is a collaboration with S+A. The design takes inspiration from the graceful navigation of large sailboats and the elegant forms they create as they move across the sea. The buildings rise like a fleet of vessels, their fluid, curving silhouettes evoking the tension of sails filled by the wind—a sense of speed, lightness, and direction. Positioned near the shoreline, they mirror the poetic relationship between sea and sail, appearing as great ships with their masts and sails unfurled. The façades draw from the natural beauty of two distinct seashells: the deep blue mussel and the softly pink nautilus. These tones form the chromatic identity of the two building clusters, connecting the architecture to the coastal character of the Atlantic and creating a natural bond with the riverside landscape.
Landscape and architecture intertwine to create a fluid and harmonious experience. The façades extend to ground level, enveloping the parking levels and allowing the buildings to appear as if they rise directly from the earth. A landscaped platform sits above the parking structure, featuring two public plazas with fountains and greenery, and a colorful central square that connects to a pedestrian bridge leading toward the marina. The main façades combine materials such as high-gloss extruded glazed ceramic panels, timber louvers, and cast glass bands that capture and diffuse light like frozen water. Vertical glued-laminated timber beams anchor the shell-like structures and recall the masts of great sailing ships. Beyond their visual elegance, these wooden frames enhance privacy, filter sunlight, and reduce the project’s carbon footprint—reinforcing the design’s sustainable and poetic dialogue between sea, structure, and light.
Inspiration
Drawings
