Redevelopment of the Ericeira Tourist Office / World Surfing Reserve

Design and Architecture, Urban Interventions — Commissary
Ericeira, Portugal, 2015

GMG coordinated and led the strategic and artistic direction of a pioneering project that highlights the relationship between design and the ocean economy, as well as the significance of Ericeira as a World Surfing Reserve.

In 2015, the Mafra Municipality (CMM) decided to rethink and redevelop the Ericeira Tourist Office, located in the heart of the town’s historic center, at Praça da República, more commonly known as “Jogo da Bola.” Given Ericeira’s designation as a World Surfing Reserve in 2011 and the growing prominence of surfing and tourism in the local economy, it became essential to develop an approach that would fully explore this potential.

Following the brief provided by CMM, experimentadesign developed a project that emphasized the connection between design and the ocean economy, focusing on one of the region’s most important tourism assets—its coastline and oceanic cultural heritage. The approach was designed to be sustainable and tailored to the 21st-century tourism market, which is increasingly demanding, informed, and cosmopolitan.

The redevelopment brief outlined three key objectives:

  1. Maintain the function of the space as an information point for tourists visiting Ericeira, Mafra, and Lisbon, improving its design to make it more effective and appealing.

  2. Highlight Ericeira’s unique culture and its deep connection to the sea as a multifaceted tourism product with strong competitive value in the global market.

  3. Create an Interpretation Center focused on the World Surfing Reserve and the history of surfing in Ericeira, using cutting-edge technology to provide visitors with an innovative informational and sensory experience.

GMG defined the overall strategy for the project and led a multidisciplinary team, bringing together experimentadesign and Alta International Creative Alliance, with a diverse range of expertise, including:

— Equipment design
— Interior design
— Architecture
— Museological and scientific research
— Writing
— Editing
— Mixed-media design
— Programming and coding
— Sound design
— Video production
— Graphic design

Video

Project Website

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