Pedra Atlântica

Pedra Atlântica is a resilient touristic and cultural surfing center located on the sand dunes of Peniche, Portugal, a city historically rooted in Portuguese surf culture. The project adopts the framework of time as a medium for change, treating architecture as a responsive system shaped by climate, users, and material transformation.

The tectonic form is inspired by Peniche’s cliffs, where tilted stone-cladded shear walls act as both structure and metaphor, grounding the building in its geological identity. The design methodology balances aesthetics, environmental performance, and social engagement, ensuring that the center is adaptive across scales.

Programmatically, the project integrates recreation, education, and tourism. The wave pool and hydrotherapy facilities anchor the health and leisure components, while the surfboard workshop and climbing wall embody activity and craft. A central communal mass acts as a flexible venue, transforming from a viewing platform to an event or seminar hall. Above, a skatepark and viewing deck extend the experience into the landscape.

Environmental strategies reinforce resilience: sand dunes buffer winds and insulate interiors; thermal mass regulates seasonal comfort; and the tilted volumes provide natural ventilation. Together, these elements merge architecture with the coastal ecosystem.

Pedra Atlântica positions Peniche to evolve from a local surfing hub into a global surf destination. By uniting sustainability, cultural identity, and recreation, the project becomes not only an architectural landmark but also a living platform for community growth, environmental stewardship, and surf tourism.