With exceptional powers in terms of organisation and authorisation attributed to Parque Expo'98, S.A. – which ceased on the 31st of December, 1999 – the Urbanisation Plan of the Intervention Zone, the UP and the Detailed Plans, DP considered therein, were prepared and approved.

Once the EXPO’98 was over, a re-evaluation of these plans was performed arriving at the conclusion for the need to proceed with their updating and revision, which came about within the exceptional powers referred to.

The holding of the EXPO’98 allowed the urbanistic and environmental recovery of a declared critical area in a short space of time, and contributed in a decisive manner to its economic and social development, its modernisation and the international affirmation of the metropolitan area of Lisbon as a European centre.

The tremendous effort in terms of investment in infrastructures and equipment led the Portuguese Government to establish strategic objectives for the post-EXPO phase which would guarantee its adequate use, in consequence of initiatives already undertaken so as to:

- Ensure an excellent urban and environmental quality;
- Ensure the rapid development of urban activities, minimising the period of transition;
- Maximise the freeing up of financial means to amortise the liabilities, following the current strict policy of contention, maintaining the criteria of cost-benefit.

Of these objectives directly interested in organisation, we would point out:

- Animation of the Intervention Zone, making the existing equipment more advantageous;
- Real estate promotion;
- Allocation of services and infrastructures which, given their characteristics, might contribute to the enhancement of the intervention zone and be used for State representational purposes, the pursuit of scientific and cultural policies and for the international affirmation of Portugal.

"One year after the reopening, the new Park of Nations proved wrong, one by one, the worst predictions of the most pessimistic. With over ten million visitors, a commercial centre which turned over around five million consumers in five months, a trade fair and exposition site which, in almost the same period of time, received over five hundred thousand visitors, the Park of Nations became what we had intended: an urban concept which is also synonymous with quality, a permanent destination of the people of Lisbon and those who visit us, of children and the elderly, of families and schools". (1)

(1) Dr. António Mega Ferreira, in the magazine PARQUE - nº 3, Sept/Oct 1999

In its first year the Park offered its visitors around one thousand spectacles and cultural activities; the Atlantic Pavilion held dozens of concerts with more than three hundred thousand spectators; the Oceanarium received over one million visitors; the Virtual Reality Pavilion also received more than three hundred thousand people.

Today the city has to assume humanisation and metamorphosis as its fundamental values, based on creativity and singularity in its architecture, and also on its time to become assimilated. But the city also needs affection, the recollection of its citizens and for us to know that when it is planned it has no past, present or future.

The Project of the Park of Nations was established to welcome the population with excellent conditions in terms of space and urban comfort, and bearing in mind the increase in leisure time and of the communities of the young, adults and the elderly who will enjoy it. The essence of a city lies in the cohabitation of groups and communities, in its taking root and in its memory.

For this reason the urban fabric of the Park of Nations seeks to harmoniously combine the prospective and innovative futurism of the city of the future – in the Detailed plans of the Central Zone and of the Site – with the settled culture of the traditional and modern city – in the other Detailed Plans – as if intriguing us in this simultaneous challenge and repose.

The city no longer has one enlightening source arising from only one imagination and only one design; it has to integrate all the contradictions in a process of exchange and dynamic negotiation through a labyrinth of obstacles.

Fir this reason it is demanded of the urbanisation plan that, in a creative way, it be physically well defined while offering a synthesis of the expressed concepts.

FINAL NOTES

By Decree nº. 16/93 of the 3rd of May, the designated Intervention Zone of the Parque Expo 98 was declared a Critical Area for Recovery and Urban Redevelopment and power was attributed to the Parque EXPO 98, S.A. to promote the necessary steps.

In terms of organisation, the attributes and powers were established in Decree Law no. 354/93 of the 9th of October, the power to prepare the UP and the DPs falling to the Parque EXPO 98, S.A. – to be submitted for the approval of the MOPTC preceded by the opinion of the CTA nominated for this effect, which was made up of representatives of the MP, MF, MPAT, MIE, MOPTC, MCT, MARN, MN, and Town Halls of Lisbon and Loures.

the Urbanisation Plan of the Intervention Zone of the Parque Expo 98 and the Detailed Plans which it comprises, DP1 to DP6, were approved and published and were carried out by the Parque EXPO 98, S.A. under the direction and co-ordination of the Architect and town planner Luís Vassalo Rosa.

The following Detailed Urbanistic Studies were developed as a result of limited tenders promoted by the Parque EXPO 98, S.A., under the guidance and co-ordination of the Parque EXPO 98, S.A.:

DP1 - Central Zone – Architect Tomaz Taveira
DP2 – Zone of the EXPO'98 Site – Architect Manuel Salgado
DP3 – Southern Zone - Architect Troufa Real
DP4 – Northern Zone - Architect Cabral de Mello and Architect Maria Manuel Godinho de Almeida
DP6 – Tagus Park – Landscape Architect Hargreaves / Landscape Architect João Nunes

The DP5 – Zone of Sacavém – was developed upon invitation by Architect Nuno Teotónio Pereira and Architect Pedro Botelho.

The Public Space Projects were developed by the authors of the Detailed Urbanistic Studies, with the exception of that referring to the DP1 of the PE 98 S.A. which was the responsibility of Architect Luís Viana Baptista and of the DP5 also prepared by him at that time.

The urban co-ordination and management was ensured by the PE 98. The revision of the Urbanisation Plan and of the Detailed Plans was performed by the Parque Expo 98 S.A. in 1999 under the responsibility of the following technicians: Architect Luís Vassalo Rosa, Landscape Architect Isabel Caetano Ferreira, Architect Luís Viana Baptista, Architect Maria Manuel Cruz, Architect Paulo Trindade, Architect Ricardo Parrinha.

Luís Vassalo Rosa - Architect and Urbanist - 2000.02.01