In a region with a dispersed urbanisation, the town of Santa Maria da Feira forms an important platform as: a social meeting place, an administrative service area, a site for leisure and sport, and a space for cultural activities. The culture of sharing, is globally expressed in international cultural events as ´Viagem Medieval em Terra de Santa Maria´ and ´Imaginarius´. Locally, the traditional bread of ´Fogaça´ expresses well the strength of sharing and enjoining eating together. Our plan is based on this value : sharing collective moments and spaces.
Our winning proposal for the urban and architecture competition ´concurso internacional de ideias para o novo eixo urbano que ligará o Imaginarius Centro de Criação (ICC) ao Cineteatro António Lamoso´ proposes a structure for the existing town by defining three spatial key lines, partially based on the actual situation. Each line has a thematic which is accompanied by spatial principles and urban schemes, that defines conditions that are essential to improve and reinforce the social meeting function of the town. The three thematic lines are: the ´river Cáster´ with sport, recreation and leisure; the ´Rua Direita´, the historical axis with its public character and programmes the ´Igreja Matriz´ and the Municipality; and the new ´Caminho do Imaginarius´ with cultural programmes along the whole axis. Along this last axis, various new places where proposed, that can serve during public events, but also on daily base.
The ICC is enlarged with a public ´park of arts´, that offers space for art installations and open air performs. Also the existing station area will be part of an ´art cluster´. Its public space will be transformed into a ´belvedere´ with spacious views and will have a strong focus on pedestrians.