Modelling the space and materiality of light

Competition Date: 2019

Project Date: 2020-21

Size: 13200 m2

Type: Invited Competition, 1st prize

Located in an area marked by discord and urban diversity, the building is a bold statement in this urban environment and will help to develop the adjacent neighbourhoods. The project evolved in two simple moments: a horizontal, green one; another objectual, white one. The ground floors establish a clear relationship of continuity with the park on the riverside of Granja. The spaces were designed for public use organized around a new square and under the green and undulating roof. The rest of the building rises above the horizontal plan in a pure and affirmative way. The building is aimed for the institutional use of the League and seeks, through the materialization of the façade, the reminiscence of some peculiarities of the football world.

There is a distinction between the lower horizontal planimetric form of the podium for public uses - such as the auditorium with capacity for more than 400 people and the first museum of professional competitions - and the upper volume clad in glass for the Portuguese Football League. Other areas include an ‘High Tech’ football zone, restaurants and shops. Several rooms are destined to university training, with a floor planned for a business incubator and a research centre. Multipurpose rooms of different sizes will allow great flexibility in hosting events and lectures dedicated to professional sports.

The entire building aims to be a fluid and open space, in relationship with the city and the local community. Liga Portugal HQ is an urban beacon visible day and night, open to the community and connected to the city.

Liga Portugal HQ is scheduled to open to the public in 2023.

“It is a project with a strong public character, which will emphasise an area of the city that is sometimes forgotten, through the construction of an institutional building, which is simultaneously a sport, cultural and leisure facility. However, it sought to boost the use of its spaces, exterior and interior, as a three-part interface: the public, the surrounding city and the program it contains.”