OODA: tram museum

‘tram museum’ competition entry by OODA in porto, portugal all images courtesy of OODA

portugal-based architectural firm OODA has completed a design entry for the redesign of the tram museum in porto, portugal. the newly formed office was created by two young architects who trained under zaha hadid and rem koolhaas at OMA.

in designing the proposal, OODA identified the main issue of the current tram museum: the building lacks the ability to communicate with the city the iconic importance of the tram in porto. this problem also translates to the inner workings of the museum, specifically the layout of its programs. OODA used the definition and function of the tram–circulation and connection–as a guideline to rework the existing design.

the outline of the building was first redefined and adjusted to reflect the nearby urban fabric. in doing so, new outdoor spaces are created that establish visual connection to the rest of the area. an old route plan of the porto tram was used to create a pattern of voids and gaps on the roof which allow for natural sunlight to get through as well as reflect the focus of the museum. this conceptual ‘grid’ also set the ground work for the circulation of the building: programs are strategically laid out to follow this route.

exterior and outdoor space rendering