The Port of Leixões in Leça da Palmeira is Porto’s gateway to the Atlantic Ocean, the main hub for commercial marine activity in the area such as cargo shipments and cruise ship terminal operations. It is also a home base for harbour fishing, a marina, and The Sea Center of the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto (UPTEC MAR).
The architectural jewel of the port is the new multi-purpose building you see here, designed by Luís Pedro Silva Arquitecto and completed in 2015. The 17,500-square metre complex combines the cruise ship terminal and its facilities with UPTEC MAR, event spaces, and a restaurant.
Porto receives around 80,000 cruise ship passengers annually, mainly from the UK, Germany, and USA, and that number is growing. The pier for the new cruise ship terminal was opened in April 2011, allowing for larger ships to dock, but it took several years for the terminal building to be finished.
You can see aerial photos and terminal specs at the website for the Port Authority of Leixões:
http://www.apdl.pt/en_US/terminal-passageiros-sul
More architectural details and photos in ArchDaily:
http://www.archdaily.com/…luis-pedro-silva-arquitecto
I’ve wanted to photograph the new cruise ship terminal since it opened last year, but the Port of Leixões is closed to the general public with the exception of an occasional Open Day. This is the first one I’ve been able to make, and of course it was mobbed, but I did manage to shoot some of the exterior and tour a tugboat. I’ll try for access another day to shoot the interior when I don’t have to stand in a queue; this is a selection of what I photographed in the meantime.
{ More photos in the album. }
September 17, 2016
Album: Dia Do Porto De Leixões 2016
