In the 1990s, after the demolition of the sheds that proliferated in Praia do Creiro (Portinho da Arrábida) between 1967 and 1978, four buildings were constructed to support the Beach activities. The project for Restaurant O Zeca, the building located at the western end of Praia do Creiro, arises from the need to requalify the terrace space and create a new shading structure.
The shading structure establishes itself as the volumetric continuation of the building and strengthens its orientation, towards the sea, to the Southwest. It is a light structure in which canvas surfaces materiality allude to the temporary tents and shelters that occupied the beach during the summer period. It defines a translucent, porous surface, guaranteeing the observation of the landscape and, through the system of covers, allows the control of the insolation and protection from the wind.
Due the high environmental sensitivity and ecological value of the landscape where the restaurant is located, in the heart of the Arrábida Natural Park, the requalification of the restaurant’s exterior spaces promotes the flow of water and air given the permeability of both horizontal and vertical surfaces, which is guaranteed by the wooden deck and the use of micro-perforated canvas that define porous surfaces.
