The Portugal dos Pequenitos in Coimbra recently announced the launch of a public tender for the miniature construction of five buildings designed by contemporary architects, as confirmed by the director of the theme park.
This project involves a seven million euro investment, with construction expected to commence either later this year or in early 2025, according to Nuno Gonçalves.
“The Portugal dos Pequenitos will expand by about one hectare, entirely dedicated to contemporary architecture, featuring collaborations with five renowned architects whose creativity and vision have redefined the landscape of contemporary architecture in Portugal,” he stated.
Established in 1940 on the left bank of the Mondego River, this park expansion project will feature contributions from Álvaro Siza Vieira, Eduardo Souto Moura, Rem Koolhaas (represented by Ellen Van Loon and Nuno Rosado), Luís Pedro Silva, and João Pedro Falcão de Campos.
The project includes scaled-down models of notable examples of Portuguese contemporary architecture from different cities: Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Siza Vieira), Casa das Histórias Paula Rego (Souto de Moura), Casa da Música (Rem Koolhaas), Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões (Luís Pedro Silva), and Bar à Margem (João Pedro Falcão de Campos).
According to Nuno Gonçalves, the architects “met successively to find a balance between all volumes and to reach a consensus on scale and arrangement on site,” under a preliminary plan by architects Frederico Vital Soares and Eduardo Costa Pinto, which is based on two central ideas: building a resilient and biodiverse garden and proposing a coherent and sustainable narrative about water.
“The project goes beyond merely representing iconic buildings on a smaller scale. It proposes a careful and detailed reinterpretation, considering not only each building individually but also the relationships between them, the pathways connecting them, and their harmonious integration with the surrounding garden,” he explained.
Founded by Fernando Bissaya Barreto during the Estado Novo dictatorship under Salazar and in the context of the Portuguese World Exhibition, Portugal dos Pequenitos is celebrating 85 years of activity.
