Because the Atlantic Ocean isn’t enough, the beach in Leça da Palmeira, Portugal boasts two saltwater swimming pools built to blend seamlessly into the natural landscape Husky rock formations frame each pool—one for kids one for adults—making them look like little oases at the ocean’s edge the concrete fades into its rocky surroundings like some desert mineral emphasizing the fluid relationship between nature and artifice. Visitors enter the complex on a walkway that obscures the passing traffic and even mutes the ocean’s waves they look toward the pools that seem almost to tip into the vast Atlantic like they're walking the world’s most peaceful plank the tidal pools brought major attention to a young Álvaro Siza Vieira who is now one of Portugal’s most celebrated architects Siza Vieira won architecture’s highest prize and Portugal designated his tidal pools a National Monument in 2006 Swimming is limited to summer months (June to September but the site is open year-round for architectural observance A tiny chapel clings to a precipice above Germany’s gemstone capital These simple structures are living monuments to the fishermen who built this community over a century ago A medieval church built into an ancient cave When waves crash onto this section of beach This ambitious attraction was the brain child of a lake resort impresario An unusually designed bridge from the 1920s was built to withstand the tides and winds of Maine brick pond eluded its possibly only investigator until his death Since its completion in 1966 the Leça Swimming Pool complex, by Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, has been an internationally recognized building. Still almost half a century later, it has gracefully retained its architectural integrity and remained a popular retreat. The Leça Swimming Pools has established itself as one of Siza’s greatest early works, and as an example of his careful reconciliation between nature and his design. The Leça Swimming Pools were one of Alvaro Siza’s first solo projects. After graduating from the University of Porto in 1955, he worked briefly with architect Fernando Tavora before setting up a studio as an independent architect. He is still practicing and has received various awards and accolades for his work, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1992. The Leça de Palmeira beaches are on the northern coastline of Matosinhos, a small town to the north of Porto, as well as Siza’s birthplace. It is also the site of another early work of Siza’s, the Boa Nova Tea House. Both the Leça Swimming Pools and the Boa Nova Tea House were constructed and completed around the same time in the mid 1960s. They both use concrete and have a similar respect for the natural rocky coastline near Siza's home. The Leça Swimming Pool complex consists of changing rooms, a café and two swimming pools, one for adults and one for children. It is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the access road that follows the coastline, but positioned almost completely out of sight. By sinking the building behind the road Siza promotes a disconnect between his pools and the infrastructure of the city. He is also considerate of the ocean views from the roadway. Siza was careful to preserve a large portion of the existing rock formations when planning his modern interventions into the landscape. The pools he created reach out into the ocean and blend easily with the natural pool formations along the coast of the Atlantic. Visitors to the Leça Swimming Pools enter down a smooth concrete ramp parallel to the road. As they walk towards the corridors to shower stalls and changing rooms, the rough concrete walls begin to obscure the views of both the traffic behind and the ocean ahead. With no views, the ocean beyond becomes audible and the transition between roadway and ocean is captured in an sensory experience within the building. Turned back towards the ocean, water again becomes the dominant view and the swimming pools are able to nestle themselves between the vast open ocean and the pool complex. The children’s pool is bound on one edge by a curving concrete wall, a bridge and large rocks on another. It is located further inland whereas the adult swimming pool seems to be set inside the Atlantic Ocean. The adult swimming pool is made with low concrete walls and natural rock formations are spread along its edges. From almost every angle the water levels of both the pool and the adjacent ocean appear to be equal, visually connecting Siza's pool with the vast Atlantic Ocean. This intentional blurring of the ocean’s edge not only enhances the swimmer’s feelings of the expanse but also blurs their understanding of this man made limit Siza demonstrates a connection with the natural while maintaining its individuality as a modern construction The pools have been recognized as an important moment in architecture because of Siza's incredible tact in reconciling his own design with the principles of the changing ocean tide You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email The Portuguese firm of architects CREA was commissioned to reform and extend an old classified house in the historic center of Leça de Palmeira Description of project by CREAOur project focused on the restoration of the Heróis de África house a lot within the old and classified district of Leça da Palmeira its sober architectural language reflects the constructive and stylistic options of the time as visible in the rectilinear design of the cornice and the stone masonry elements flanking the cast iron gate also incorporating a depurated decorative geometry the house has stone walls finished with traditional mortar and painting It endured some minor transformations and extensions along its way mainly visible at the old rear façade.Looking to design a home for the Sizaret family of four this project strived not only for the restoration but also for an extension of the pre-existing building as a way of achieving an area more suitable to the whole diversity of activities needed and requested that extension materialized in a pentagonal zinc-lined volume resembling the universal archetype of a house extruded from the back façade and widely into the garden the whole area aggregates spaces like the kitchen office (second floor) or the library (second floor).Renovating its internal layout we seeked an uncluttered approach regarding materials and “skins” with bare spaces and concrete ground flooring which emphasizes wooden elements We also tried to achieve a wider spatial fluidity promoting a constant dialogue between openness and privacy shifting from luminous to more somber and intimate rooms That is also visible in the two-storey living room and its relation with the outside garden but also in the north part of the house where the integration of atelier bedrooms and office connects with a small patio and the residence’s entrance CREA Arquitetos at the Architecture and Design Awards of the Architecture and Design Collection with the work Moradia na Maia and Black Box in the Residential Architecture and Design category awarded to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Oporto Headquarters Archive HOUSING Galp Energia SGPS SA is permanently ceasing crude oil refining operations in 2021 at subsidiary Petróleos de Portugal SA’s (Petrogal) 110,000-b/d refinery in Matosinhos e Leça da Palmeira The decision to shut down the Matosinhos refinery follows negative impacts to Galp’s downstream industrial activities precipitated by structural changes in demand for finished petroleum products resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as well as the European regulatory environment Galp said it expects the planned system reconfiguration—which includes the decommissioning of an estimated €200-million ($244-million) worth of Matosinhos assets—should reduce the company’s average fixed costs and recurrent capex by more than €90 million annually as well as reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions by about 900,000 tonnes/year (tpy) Discontinuation of refining activities at Matosinhos will not impact fuel distribution in Portugal as Galp will continue supplying the regional market by maintaining all key import and distribution installations at the site The operator also plans to assess unidentified alternative uses for the refining site Alongside its primary distillation capacity the Matosinhos complex also houses a 440,000-tpy aromatics plant according to Galp’s latest annual report to investors With the shuttering of the Matosinhos refinery Galp said it will now concentrate on future developments to enhance the resilience and competitiveness of its 220,000-b/d refinery at the Port of Sines Without disclosing specific details of proposed future projects at Sines Galp did confirm it is evaluating works to improve the refinery’s energy and process efficiency as well as potential projects to integrate the production of advanced biofuels and other cleaner products at the site Future potential investments at Sines will be supported by savings resulting from the downstream restructuring program and energy transition initiatives Robert Brelsford joined Oil & Gas Journal in October 2013 as downstream technology editor after 8 years as a crude oil price and news reporter on spot crude transactions at the US Gulf Coast He holds a BA (2000) in English from Rice University and an MS (2003) in education and social policy from Northwestern University Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Porto There are many good reasons to head to Leça da Palmeira and eat chef Rui Paula's food Besides his creative and gastronomic skills – which he already demonstrated elsewhere such as DOC in the Douro and DOP in downtown Porto – dining the Casa de Chá da Boa Nova (designed by architect Siza Vieira) makes everything seem different: that's due to the dramatic landscape Every meal starts with an aperitif in a room overlooking the ocean – the restaurant is built on top of the shoals The same ocean (or one like it) is also on the menu – one of the tasting menus The Mar e Terra is more of a surf & turf mix Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! instagram About us Contact us both classified as National Monuments in Portugal The Boa Nova Tea House was the result of a competition organized by Câmara de Matosinhos in 1958. The architect Fernando Távora won the competition and then gave the project to his young collaborator, Alvaro Siza, who was just 25 years old at the time. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGInside the building, it is well worth taking the time to contemplate the apertures, meticulously planned to frame the local landscape as great living pictures. This strong relation between interior and exterior is quite remarkable in the design, reinforced with large completely open glass panels, confusing the boundaries between the building and nature. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGIn 2014 the building was reopened, after lying in a state of ruin for several years because of lack of upkeep, as well as weather damage, like strong winds, and the ocean air. The renovation was carried out by the building’s creator, while the exterior, the frames, and construction details were restored, In addition, the furnishings from the original drawings and specifications were added. The building is currently a restaurant. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG AD Classics: Boa Nova Tea House / Alvaro Siza The Boa Nova Tea House had won the competition for the project and passed it onto Alvaro Siza Its location close to Siza's home town had its significance especially due to the architect's intimate familiarity with the landscape AD Classics: AD Classics: Leça Swimming Pools / Alvaro Siza 18 Since its completion in 1966 the Leça Swimming Pool complex has been an internationally recognized building it has gracefully retained its architectural integrity and remained a popular retreat sun and nice cold cocktails being turned out at a frenetic pace by the barmen on duty is the perfect combination for any late afternoon a bar/restaurant in Leça da Palmeira it will come escorted with a guard of honour of peixinhos da horta (battered make sure you don’t drink too much if you’re thinking of jumping into the sea Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email The pool is along a stretch of coastline in Leça da Palmeira and was designed by renowned architect Álvaro Siza Vieira The two saltwater swimming pools of Piscina das Marés are sunk into the rock of Leça da Palmeira beach it was classified a National Monument in 2011 We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alvaro Siza Vieira’s Piscinas de Marés (Pools on the Beach) in Leça de Palmeira, Portugal, photographer Fernando Guerra shared an interesting photo shoot project with us The young Álvaro Siza Vieira was called to make salt water pools along the shore at Leça da Palmeira in Matosinhos a café and two pools- one for adults and one for children - and became one of Siza Vieira’s most recognized projects classified as a National Monument of Portugal in 2011 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGThe design takes advantage of natural depressions in the rocky terrain and embeds basins of salt water. The pools reach the ocean and mingle with other natural formations present along the coast of Matosinhos. The volumes are integrated into the landscape, hiding it and framing it at times, but clearly highlighting this human intervention on the natural site. Siza created a deliberate contrast between the organic stones and the sharp geometry of his architecture. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGThe complex is made of concrete, with exposed wooden beams. The tone of the concrete used is slightly lighter than the rocks on the ground, showing the presence of man in the natural environment. The covers are made of wood, covered with copper plates on asphalt screens. with simple interventions in the building - which remains in use there will be a book launch "Piscina na Praia de Leça -- The Pool On The Beach" with drawings and texts from Siza himself as well as other authors See full project details after the gallery AD Classics: AD Classics: Leça Swimming Pools / Alvaro Siza