https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2289 en-us To create the iconic curving forms of the cruise-ship terminal in Porto, Portugal, architect Luís Pedro Silva began working from the project’s territorial context rather than simply seeking a display of formal prowess.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11546 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11546-porto-cruise-terminal Porto Cruise Terminal Curved walls are finished in hexagonal tiles with tilted faces, scattering natural light. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal The building’s forms diagram movement through it and connections to sea and land. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal A covered breezeway connects ships to the terminal. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal The central atrium is a whorl of curving ramps and structural walls around a vertical circulation shaft. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal Set on a pier reaching 2,500 feet into the Atlantic to accommodate larger boats, Porto’s Cruise Ship Terminal attracts local visitors from nearby beaches with its striking oval profile and tiered rooftop lookout, reached via spiraling ramps from the ground. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal The terminal’s massing is like a looping ribbon, with ramps uncoiling from the central drum toward a marina and the shore. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal The main concourse includes ample spaces for waiting passengers. Photo © Fernando Guerra Porto Cruise Terminal Image courtesy Luís Pedro Silva Porto Cruise Terminal Image courtesy Luís Pedro Silva