Plaza Oeste to have more leisure and tourism?
In the image below you can see the original 2008 concept
presented by "Design International" for Plaza Oeste located
between the A15 motorway and the waters of the lake created by
the Arnóia Dam. (click on the image to see full size)
As I posted earlier in a reply to the thread "A dos Negros
construction project? Plaza Oeste?"- the president of Obidos
council, Telmo Faria, stated in December 09 that he unofficially
knew that there "had been a redefinition" of Plaza Oeste "with
greater investment in the leisure and tourism components".
I wonder if that redefinition is to include more than the
ambitious project already outlined by the "Petersham Group" and
their Portuguese associate, "Eurofun Lda." on the 15th December
2008.
The Petersham Group stated then on their web site that...
"The scheme is located in central Portugal, some 2 kilometres
from the historic medieval hilltop town of Obidos, to which it
will be joined by a fixed cable car link" and that "the master
plan includes a 4* hotel and conference centre, sustainable
accommodation located in the woodlands in the form of eco-lodges
and a range of restaurants, including a number set on stilts out
across the water. There will be a great range of sport and
recreation opportunities, including a water sports centre for
kayaking, boardsailing and yachting; mountain biking and Nordic
walking trails; tennis and golf clinics and extreme sports
including paragliding and climbing. The events programme will be
a key part of the project and will centre around an amphitheatre
set on the lake shore and fronting a floating stage, to be a
venue for concerts and events of all kinds."
With the lake created by the dam providing an ideal leisure
environment just a stone's throw from the Technology Park, Telmo
Faria may just be creating the kind of environment which will
attract the "creative class" he discusses in his interview of
July 2009 entitled "Visions from Creative Mayors: Obidos" in the
the URBACT Creative Clusters Project.
If so, then as Telmo Faria says in his 2009 local elections poster below,
maybe "we will all win", and that "change is not going to stop"...
URBACT are also aware of some changes as they said in their own
document issued in March 2010 that - "Plaza Oeste, a shopping
mall with a new approach focused on landscape and leisure, is
currently redefining its core business."
So maybe it's time to make a public statement on the changes
planned to Plaza Oeste and let us know when the project will be
completed.
There are more images from "Design International" which you can
see on their web site showing a focus on shopping. In the image
below you can see a projected view from the shopping centre out
over the Obidos Lagoon to the Atlantic ocean beyond.
