Graça Funicular / Atelier Bugio

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Text description provided by the architects.Following a logic of typological continuity, the mechanical solution of the funicular establishes the connection to the Graça hill. Lisbon's hills have a tradition of transport mechanisms for people, most of them electric, such as various elevators—both vertical and inclined—and, more recently, escalators, like the one connecting Rua Garrett to Largo do Carmo.SPATIAL SEQUENCE - At the lower level, on Rua dos Lagares, a small “station” building continues the street’s façade and connects the funicular route to the street through a double-height space. The building houses the mechanism and creates a "gateway" to Graça. The funicular cabin is designed with an axis that divides it into two sections: the opaque section, which contains two doors—one emergency exit and one for passengers—and the transparent section, which offers passengers a view of the interior of the Convent’s enclosure throughout the journey, as the route runs parallel to it. The enclosure is now being transformed into a public garden. The first part of the route runs alongside the enclosure, ascending continuously through the new garden. Then, the funicular enters a small curved tunnel that passes beneath the viewpoint, reaching the connection level with Calçada da Graça. As it emerges onto the street, the funicular “turns its back” to the viewpoint’s retaining wall, opening up to Jardim Augusto Gil and the river, which unfolds on the horizon of Calçada da Graça.The typological reference for this funicular was, in many aspects, the Bica Elevator, which provided answers to many of the questions we posed regarding this equipment. At the lower level, continuing the façade of Rua dos Lagares, a building opens a large door onto the street. This public entrance allows access between the street and the funicular through a "station" building, where the equipment is stored when not in use and where passengers are received before beginning their journey. The funicular has only two stops to ensure the desired flow: one at the lower level, on Rua dos Lagares, and the other at the upper level, where it meets the end of Calçada da Graça. This upper stop is slightly below the viewpoint level, allowing the funicular to stop on the street—similar to the Bica Elevator—before beginning its descent.