Porto, a city with a significant history of migration and exploration. As a major port city, it served as a hub for both inward and outward migration, particularly during the Age of Exploration. Porto’s shipyards were crucial in the development of Portuguese shipbuilding and contributed to the explorations of Prince Henry the Navigator. The city’s strategic location on the Douro River also facilitated trade and cultural exchange, drawing in diverse populations over centuries.

The Joy of Movement and Exploration

In the historical centre of Porto, both locals and visitors navigate the city using various paths and modes of transport. Each choice offers a unique experience: movement may be slow or fast, exposed to or sheltered from the physical environment and weather conditions, with sweeping vistas or restricted views, physically demanding or effortless. Porto’s distinctive sloping topography introduces an additional dimension to this movement.

This thesis investigates how the joy of movement can shape the approach to a site and how physical movement can interact with the program of a new building. The project envisions a Museum of Migration and Exploration, exploring how physical movement can reflect cultural journeys. These cultural movements are rooted in Porto’s history, from the invasions of Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula by various civilizations to the Portuguese Age of Exploration, when the country ventured across the seas.

The research examines the current access to the site through two contrasting paths:

1. The upper deck of the Ponte Luís I Bridge, connecting the site to the city centre with a flat, easily accessible route.
2. The historical Escadas do Codeçal stairs, offering a steeper and more physically demanding experience.

These two paths provide distinct experiences for walkers and travellers (wayfarer), which the project seeks to incorporate and extend into the design of the new building.

From an ethical perspective, the project has explored how the history of Porto and Portugal can offer a unique experience of discovery through spectacular views and playful interactions with light and shade. The design aims to embrace complexity as a tool to enrich the user experience while fostering public spaces that celebrate diversity and promote equality. The goal is to create vibrant pathways and spaces that focus on what people can see, feel, and connect with—transforming the act of movement into a joyful and meaningful journey.