ICON Douro Building

Text description provided by the architects. The ICON Douro project is located in Porto, next to the crossroads with the largest road traffic in northern Portugal. It was promoted by Civilria and is the new headquarters of the Ageas Portugal Group.

It integrates 12,500 square meters of office space, restaurants and complementary programs and is accompanied by a public garden with a noteworthy special status, in the most important commercial area of the city, between accessibility to the south and connection to the main port. and airport infrastructure in the north of the country.

The architectural concept is designed on three levels: urban and environmental renewal, the form and architectural language of the building, and the quality of the interior areas and environments that promote expression, comfort and function of both spaces and activities for all users.

The first great benefit of the project was to restore the urban condition of the place which had deteriorated due to the obsolescence of the initial industrial occupation. In this new context, the building is designed according to a curvilinear matrix, sweetened by the particularity of movement and the context of the road knot. Its horizontality is strongly marked by shading elements rising in contrasting movements, which culminate in the inclined surface, underlining the presence of the mezzanine.

The option of the central core, elongated, open and sheltered, in addition to increasing the capacity for visual interaction between the different floors and in this way, between the different appropriations by the users, aims to increase the natural illumination of the office areas, to achieve the reduction of the use of artificial lighting. An exceptional amount of light is obtained through the core because it actually doubles the number of interfaces. Careful consideration has been given to the design of this large central alcove to allow for adequate thermal and comfort conditions.

In addition to the reinforced concrete walls and glass facades, the use of traditional materials for the city, such as the ceramic tile unit, also stands out as an important factor in the intervention.

In addition to the privileged access from the street, particular attention has been paid to the topography of the park and its protection from the highway, enjoying on the other side the presence of a lake that complements the landscape and the ecological importance of the intervention.