Marina do Funchal

Avenida do Mar

Built
Funchal
2 798 m²
2024

A project for the upgrading of the building and outdoor spaces of the Marina do Funchal, on Avenida do Mar, intended for restaurant, retail and service uses. The intervention, commissioned by APRAM, covers a total area of 7,070 m².

Aerial view of Funchal Marina, with walkways beside the boats and the city behind.

The proposal provides for the demolition of the existing building, retaining the rear boundary corresponding to the city wall and preserving the original ground-floor and roof levels, so as to ensure urban continuity and respect the dominant characteristics of the place. The new building is developed as a single volume, with only one floor above threshold level, clarifying its formal and functional reading.

Curved pergola above benches and a pedestrian route beside the marina.
Curved benches around planted beds beside the moored boats. Detail of the perforated canopy and a circular opening in the pergola.
Overhead view of the marina walkways, steps and quays.

The roof is upgraded as a space for circulation and for lingering, strengthening the connection between levels and the relationship with the public realm. Pedestrian access is reorganised: the western entrance is retained, the central axis is reconfigured and a new eastern entrance is introduced next to the quay; vehicle access remains at the western boundary.

Angular access structure beside the rock face and promenade. Glazed frontage of the marina building, with steps and a curved bench.
Marina at dusk with the building and walkway illuminated.

The programme is distributed across two main zones: restaurants, between the western and central entrances, with four restaurants and two bars; and retail and services, between the central and eastern entrances, comprising visitor services, administrative services, nine retail units, a bar, ten kiosks and facilities for the national guard (GNR). The intervention aims to give the complex greater architectural dignity, improve the adjacent outdoor spaces and contribute to the urban and functional vitality of the Marina.

Overhead view of the undulating pergola and its shadows on the paving. Illuminated marina square and building, with the hillside city in the background. Illuminated walkway along the building and moorings. Promenade beneath the pergola with trees, benches and views of boat masts. Night aerial view of the marina and Funchal waterfront.