This master thesis is about the abandoned Agostinho Neto airport in Ponta do Sol, Cape Verde.
During several months of researching architectural issues in an environment that was foreign to me, I discovered a large degraded area with abandoned airport infrastructure on the outskirts of a once historically important city. The area now constitutes a disturbing element in the city, with a clear physical barrier making it difficult to connect the city to a large part of the coast. Today, local residents use the area on their own initiative as a large public open space.
The project aims to improve and upgrade the space to connect it with the city and its inhabitants. I am turning a large, undefined area into a public urban park with different sectors of use. I extend clearly defined urban axes into the park area. On the present edge between the city and the airport, together with the existing infrastructure, I will introduce new opportunities for the development of active tourism and local crafts.
I will preserve the existing infrastructure and revitalize it with public programs like a café, a souvenir shop, and a viewpoint. I will locate craft workshops in the public part of the new facilities. The private part is dedicated to long-term accommodation and common spaces for digital nomads.
The former airport, which was a symbol of travel, has now become the Digital Nomad Centre, bringing new people, new thinking, new opportunities, and new dynamics to the city.
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