City Cortex

Lisbon and Trafaria

The projects will be presented along the riverside areas on the north and south banks of the River Tagus, namely in Belém (Lisbon) and Trafaria (Almada).

Belém is a Lisbon borough of great importance in the city's history, known for its historic monuments, riverside walks and links with the south bank of the river.

On the other side of the Tagus is Trafaria, a small and distinctive urban cluster in the municipality of Almada, a town that has always been part of the history and importance of the Portuguese capital. Trafaria has been home to important industries and activities related to the river, and has also been a bathing and leisure destination.

By interacting with the urban landscapes of these two different locations in Greater Lisbon, City Cortex seeks to materialise not only the historical legacy of this region in the production and proliferation of cork in Portugal and the world, but also the relational dynamics between these two regions united by the river.

City Cortex focuses essentially on:

• Expanding the use of an extraordinary, sustainable and natural raw-material within urban contexts;
• Paving the way for a broader consciousness about sustainability and the development of urban contemporary landscapes;
• Inspiring innovative thinking, marked by ideas and intersections that offer a positive and useful contribution to our living experience as a social community and interaction with the natural world.

Besides exploring the potential of the material itself, this programme also strives for a playful user experience, transforming the communal urban space into a playground, a space for multidisciplinary and multicultural interactions.