Garden of Cabeço das Rolas

Category: Nature > Garden

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Parque das Nações

Location:

Located in Lisbon, in the heart of the modern Parque das Nações area, the Jardim do Cabeço das Rolas stands on one of the natural elevations of the area. This position offers a unique perspective on the urban surroundings. Its main access is on Alameda dos Oceanos, complemented by entrances from nearby streets such as Passeio do Báltico and Avenida de Ulisses. Its distinctive topography contributes to the visitor experience, fitting into the capital's riverside landscape.

Conception and Heritage

Inaugurated in 1998, this public green space is a remarkable creation by the prestigious landscape architect Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles. The project represented a profound transformation of an area that, in the past, was an industrial complex with shipyards and a refinery. Ribeiro Telles conceived the garden based on valuing the existing topography, integrating it into a new landscape that combines leisure with a subtle sense of education and memory of the place.

The Landscape Design

The design of the Jardim do Cabeço das Rolas is distinguished by its structure of terraces, which adapt to and overcome the steep slope of the hillock. Stone and brick masonry retaining walls, whose aesthetics evoke the site's industrial heritage, shape the different levels. At the highest point, a flat central core hosts a remarkable composition of square flowerbeds inserted into a hexagon, with brick paving and shallow ponds housing water lilies. The garden is punctuated by inviting pergolas and a diversity of botanical species, including trees such as cedars and jacarandas, and shrubs such as rosemary and jasmine.

Unique Elements

Among the various levels of the garden, there is a rectangular olive grove with seventeen olive trees arranged in rows, accompanied by panels that explore olive cultivation, lending a didactic aspect to the space. One of the most striking elements is the large water reservoir, approximately fifty meters per side and five meters deep. This imposing tank, a remnant of the old refinery, maintains its functionality, being today an essential part of the irrigation system for a large part of the Parque das Nações. The name "Cabeço das Rolas" evokes the memory of being a passing point for doves during their migratory routes, connecting the garden to its natural history.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt