This project is an architectural competition proposal for the Museu do Ambiente de Gaia MAG in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

In addition to meeting the requested program, our wish was to sculpt a garden from the rugged topography of the land that constitutes a belvedere on the south bank of the Douro.

Thanks to the boom in trade in the 18th and 19th centuries in Portugal, several exotic plant species were introduced: magnolias, jacarandas, gingko biloba, camellias, tulip trees, rhododendrons, azaleas, etc. Today, they constitute a landscape heritage in Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto. The Mag garden was intended to be a continuation of this heritage.

​

Thus, the programmatic volumes of the museum form the planted terraces that overcome the unevenness and connect the urban fabric of the city. The MAG becomes a pivotal facility, both an open public garden and a museum, connecting the city centre of Vila Nova de Gaia to the historic Port wine cellars.

​