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Lago do Pau

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The rehabilitation of Lago do Pau, in Eduardo VII Park, stemmed from the need to recover a public element of significant heritage and landscape value, originally integrated into Keil do Amaral’s design for the park. COLUNA supported the process through Integrated Design, developing the execution-stage project for the rehabilitation of the lake and its associated infrastructure, in coordination with the conservation of the sculptural ensemble, with the aim of restoring formal coherence, technical functionality and civic dignity to this historic feature of Lisbon’s public realm.

Location Lisbon, Portugal
Assets Type Public Realm
Customer Profiles Public Entity
Services Design Management, Integrated Design
Type of Interventions Refurbishment
Gross Area < 200 sq m
Investment EUR 110,000
Start / Completion Year 2019 – 2021
Current Status Completed

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Key Challenges
and Solutions Adopted

Lago do Pau forms part of a small but meaningful design unit within Eduardo VII Park, associated with the work of Keil do Amaral and with the integration of public art into the urban landscape. The intervention required an approach capable of respecting the formal coherence of the ensemble while addressing the technical demands of rehabilitation.
The lake had been out of operation for many years and showed visible deformation, cracking and loss of watertightness, alongside general deterioration of the paving, benches and surrounding elements. The proposed solution included the full demolition of the existing structure, the construction of a new reinforced concrete tank, and the renewal of the water supply and drainage infrastructure.
Beyond its hydraulic and construction-related components, the project also had to integrate the conservation of the two sculptural elements that define the space and reinforce its heritage significance. The intervention was therefore developed to recover the lake without fragmenting the architectural and artistic reading of the whole ensemble.
The proposal also included the reconfiguration of the immediate setting, with the lifting and repositioning of the existing “Azulino Cascais” limestone paving, level adjustments to better accommodate surrounding tree roots, and the replacement of visually dissonant surfaces with more coherent materials. This approach reinforced continuity between infrastructure, material language and landscape.

Services provided

As part of the Integrated Design scope, COLUNA developed the execution-stage project covering architecture, structural design, water supply, drainage and electrical installations for the rehabilitation of the lake. This work addressed the existing construction defects, the need to renew the infrastructure and the overall enhancement of a historic feature within Eduardo VII Park. Outcome: an integrated technical solution for the functional and material recovery of the ensemble, prepared to restore durability, legibility and public quality to the space.

Results /
Impact for the Client

  • Technically structured rehabilitation strategy for a heritage element within Eduardo VII Park
  • Recovery of the lake’s intended functionality and renewal of its associated infrastructure
  • Strengthening of the ensemble’s architectural, material and landscape coherence
  • Improved technical preparation for a future public works tender
  • Reinforcement of the quality and civic value of a historic public space in Lisbon

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