Original name
Piscina das Marés [Leça Swimming Pool]
Original use
Sports/swimming pool
Current use
Sports/swimming pool
Architects
Alvaro Siza
Concrete by reinforcement
Therefore, it performs well in compression, but its ability to withstand tensile stresses will be very limited.
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
Structural types
Trussed beams are the cheapest solution for the execution of large spans, in other words, when there are large distances between vertical supports. In reality, this type of beam is a kind of lattice, made up of a series of shorter braces (posts and struts).
Trussed beams are usually made of steel or wood, since some of the elements of the structure will be subject to compression and others to traction. As such, it is unusual for structures of this type to be built only with concrete. Using a combination of concrete for compression and steel to absorb traction results in better structural performance.
Mass concrete structures include large slabs and foundation elements, dams, and other concrete structures in which the minimum dimension is larger than three meters.
State of Conservation
Description
This landscape project, by the sea, is characterized by an intelligent layout in plan: the concrete wall that separates the seafront promenade in Matosinhos from the rocky coastline is folded in and opened out to create access points and accommodate the various services and support facilities for a series of swimming pools and seawater bathing areas. From the city side, the project disappears due to the different heights of the promenade and the bathing area, which is sunken to a lower level to avoid obstructing views. The topographical nature of the design and the fact that it shies away from projecting a recognizable or iconic image is one of the values of this project by Álvaro Siza, which subjects the architecture to the logics of the rocky coastal landscape, making it the center of attention.
Subject to the weather and to strong storms, the architecture is inseparable from the rock and blends into it: the concrete walls, exposed to the continuous erosion of the waves and the wind, have taken on a patina and texture that connects them inextricably to the place. It is a rough architecture, whose function is to shelter and protect the different elements of the program and circulation areas that descend from the promenade toward the swimming pools and the sea, all set in amid the walls. A series of flat roofs, merely resting on the walls, are situated only where the program requires more protection.
Portugal
Avenida Liberdade
Porto 4450-716 Leça da Palmeira (Matosinhos)
Commission
1961
Completion
1966