Water Pavilion

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Porto > Porto > Porto > Aldoar

Location

The Water Pavilion is located in the parish of Aldoar, integrated into the vast and emblematic City Park of Porto. This park is one of the city's main green spaces, offering a vast and serene environment. Its position in the western part of Porto gives it a significant natural setting, providing a tranquil refuge within the urban context.

Genesis and Design

This building has its roots in Expo '98, held in Lisbon, where it was one of the thematic pavilions. After the event, the structure was dismantled and later reinstalled in the city of Porto, in its current location. Conceived by architects Alexandre Burmester and José Carlos Gonçalves, the Water Pavilion stands out for its architecture. The innovative design was intended to create the illusion that the building is suspended in the air, giving it a distinctive visual presence.

The Interactive Journey

Inside the Water Pavilion, visitors are invited to explore the relevance of water for life and the various ways it manifests on our planet. The space offers a set of experiences that allow for a playful and scientific approach to the theme. It is possible to interact with modules that demonstrate phenomena such as the formation of a tornado or a cyclone, observe the behavior of waves, or discover microscopic creatures. A large aquarium is also part of the experience, allowing for the observation of aquatic life, while the journey invites understanding the phases of the water cycle and the importance of its conservation.

Reinventing the Experience

The Water Pavilion underwent a substantial renovation, reopening with fully updated content and a reorganized visitor proposal. The experience, previously free-flowing, transformed into a conceptually structured journey, guiding the public through new stages of discovery. Águas do Porto, the entity responsible for the management of the site, highlights the urban water cycle, explaining its management in the city. Among the innovations, a remarkable immersive room provides a multi-sensory experience, transporting visitors to the depths of the ocean and addressing the theme of climate change impacts.

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