“Caminhos da água” is a study commissioned in 2020 by the Municipality Guimarães as part of the candidacy to extend the UNESCO World Heritage zone. The study envisages a method of comprehending the city that goes from “outside to inside”. From this premise, the territory in which historic cities are placed is not merely the space beyond their urban boundaries; it is the base from which the city emerges. The second premise of the study is the comprehension of the “territory as a system, which can give us some clues to interpret better how it works and value the parts that conform it.
The study identifies at various scales the essential elements that are key for the functioning of the system. The methodology implemented aims to highlight the indispensable parts for preserving the territory’s identity and responsible for the equilibrium between the city and its natural resources. The study “Caminhos da água” is conceived as a planning instrument for the valorisation and control of the territorial context of the historic city of Guimarães. It aims to comprehend better, interpret, and read the territorial framework that gives meaning to the historic city.
Credits:
Project: Caminhos da água
Location: Guimarães, Portugal
Client: Município de Guimarães
Commission: 2020
Architect: Estar, Aurora Armental Ruiz & Stefano Ciurlo Walker
Collaborators: Alejandro Morales Martín
Photography: Andrés Fraga
