Revitalization of el Portal de El Yunque
Hurricane recovery sparks a complete reimagining of El Portal’s offerings.
Situated within El Yunque National Forest, the El Portal Visitors' Center, originally designed by Sierra Cardona Ferrer in 1996, was redesigned and fully refurbished after damage from Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017. Marvel and Interlink Construction led the project, applying sustainable strategies such as solar energy, water harvesting, and green infrastructure to enhance the original design, aiming for LEED Silver certification. Completed in December 2021 with an $18.1 million budget, the renewed El Portal now features a plaza, gardens, café, and the only accessible trail in the National Forest, while achieving LEED Gold certification. It reopened in January 2022 as a community hub, showcasing the local environment, history, and culture.
Hurricane recovery sparks a complete revimagining of El Portal’s offerings.
Situated within El Yunque National Forest, the El Portal Visitors' Center, originally designed by Sierra Cardona Ferrer in 1996, was redesigned and fully refurbished after damage from Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017.
Marvel and Interlink Construction led the project, applying sustainable strategies such as solar energy, water harvesting, and green infrastructure to enhance the original design, aiming for LEED Silver certification. Completed in December 2021 with an $18.1 million budget, the renewed El Portal now features a plaza, gardens, café, and the only accessible trail in the National Forest, while achieving LEED Gold certification. It reopened in January 2022 as a community hub, showcasing the local environment, history, and culture.
“El Portal is an integral part of one of Puerto Rico’s biggest tourist attractions and, as such, it is an iconic destination. Playing a role in assuring its longevity and ability to remain accessible to both residents and visitors, all while preserving this fragile natural ecosystem in perpetuity was critical in our decision to take on this project.”
Jonathan Marvel, Founding Principal at Marvel
The entry plaza was imagined as a forest opening, an archetypical space for gathering.
The pedestrian bridge allows an appreciation of the lowland forest and the ocean beyond, stressing the vital ecological connections between the two.
The bright entryway includes a visitor's desk made from wood reclaimed from the wreckage of Hurricane Maria.
"It was a big lift for Marvel to take a structure that has been in use for over 20 years and make it something that's a model we can move forward with– from a facility management side but also sustainable from its footprint and all the improvements."
David Ilse, Public Services Staff Officer at El Yunque National Forest
One of the biggest modifications to SCF’s original design was the Center Court. Extensive structural damage to the iconic pitched roof required the structure to be demolished.
Marvel completely re-designed the theater, located under the upper level plaza and across a "bridge" over the newly designed water feature.
The water features were inspired by the early 20th century impoundments in the forest that provided freshwater to the neighboring communities.
El Portal contains the one and only accessible trail in all of the El Yunque National Forest. It includes interpretive signage informing visitors about the surrounding flora, fauna, and cultural history of this landscape.
Most of El Portal’s elements were at or beyond their expected usable life. The type of space for the exhibits and even the building envelope had also outlived their purpose; especially given the recent damage by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Designing harmony between nature and resilience.
Nestled within El Yunque National Forest—the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest System—the Visitor Center has been thoughtfully transformed to honor the surrounding landscape. Originally designed in 1996, the Center suffered damage from Hurricanes Irma and María, prompting a renewal that revitalizes its connection to nature. The redesign incorporates carefully integrated trails, local flora, and green infrastructure, seamlessly blending solar energy and water harvesting strategies. Today, visitors are welcomed into a vibrant, sustainable landscape that reflects Puerto Rico’s unique ecological heritage.
The whole site of El Portal is conceptualized as a series of habitats that represent El Yunque National Forest and the cultural landscapes that surround it in Northeastern Puerto Rico.
Visitors to El Portal at El Yunque most frequently arrive at a bus and shuttle drop off location amidst a heavily reconstructed and verdant plaza space full of native rain forest ecology.
The sequence from the drop off to El Portal is the visual cue of a seating and meeting moment under a lightweight shade structure which then leads to an elevated pedestrian bridge and procession to the Visitors Center beyond.
The pedestrian bridge allows an appreciation of the lowland forest and the ocean beyond, stressing the vital ecological connections between the two.
The accessible trail at El Portal includes interpretive signage informing visitors about the surrounding flora, fauna, and cultural history of this landscape.
Elements of the original design, including the main hall, the upper courtyard, and the water feature were modified to give way to a newer design vision, accommodate current needs, and comply with current codes and sustainability standards.
Revitalization of el Portal de El Yunque
Hurricane recovery sparks a complete reimagining of El Portal’s offerings.
Situated within El Yunque National Forest, the El Portal Visitors' Center, originally designed by Sierra Cardona Ferrer in 1996, was redesigned and fully refurbished after damage from Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017. Marvel and Interlink Construction led the project, applying sustainable strategies such as solar energy, water harvesting, and green infrastructure to enhance the original design, aiming for LEED Silver certification. Completed in December 2021 with an $18.1 million budget, the renewed El Portal now features a plaza, gardens, café, and the only accessible trail in the National Forest, while achieving LEED Gold certification. It reopened in January 2022 as a community hub, showcasing the local environment, history, and culture.
Hurricane recovery sparks a complete revimagining of El Portal’s offerings.
Situated within El Yunque National Forest, the El Portal Visitors' Center, originally designed by Sierra Cardona Ferrer in 1996, was redesigned and fully refurbished after damage from Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017.
Marvel and Interlink Construction led the project, applying sustainable strategies such as solar energy, water harvesting, and green infrastructure to enhance the original design, aiming for LEED Silver certification. Completed in December 2021 with an $18.1 million budget, the renewed El Portal now features a plaza, gardens, café, and the only accessible trail in the National Forest, while achieving LEED Gold certification. It reopened in January 2022 as a community hub, showcasing the local environment, history, and culture.
“El Portal is an integral part of one of Puerto Rico’s biggest tourist attractions and, as such, it is an iconic destination. Playing a role in assuring its longevity and ability to remain accessible to both residents and visitors, all while preserving this fragile natural ecosystem in perpetuity was critical in our decision to take on this project.”
Jonathan Marvel, Founding Principal at Marvel
The entry plaza was imagined as a forest opening, an archetypical space for gathering.
The pedestrian bridge allows an appreciation of the lowland forest and the ocean beyond, stressing the vital ecological connections between the two.
The bright entryway includes a visitor's desk made from wood reclaimed from the wreckage of Hurricane Maria.
"It was a big lift for Marvel to take a structure that has been in use for over 20 years and make it something that's a model we can move forward with– from a facility management side but also sustainable from its footprint and all the improvements."
David Ilse, Public Services Staff Officer at El Yunque National Forest
One of the biggest modifications to SCF’s original design was the Center Court. Extensive structural damage to the iconic pitched roof required the structure to be demolished.
Marvel completely re-designed the theater, located under the upper level plaza and across a "bridge" over the newly designed water feature.
The water features were inspired by the early 20th century impoundments in the forest that provided freshwater to the neighboring communities.
El Portal contains the one and only accessible trail in all of the El Yunque National Forest. It includes interpretive signage informing visitors about the surrounding flora, fauna, and cultural history of this landscape.
Most of El Portal’s elements were at or beyond their expected usable life. The type of space for the exhibits and even the building envelope had also outlived their purpose; especially given the recent damage by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Designing harmony between nature and resilience.
Nestled within El Yunque National Forest—the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest System—the Visitor Center has been thoughtfully transformed to honor the surrounding landscape. Originally designed in 1996, the Center suffered damage from Hurricanes Irma and María, prompting a renewal that revitalizes its connection to nature. The redesign incorporates carefully integrated trails, local flora, and green infrastructure, seamlessly blending solar energy and water harvesting strategies. Today, visitors are welcomed into a vibrant, sustainable landscape that reflects Puerto Rico’s unique ecological heritage.
The whole site of El Portal is conceptualized as a series of habitats that represent El Yunque National Forest and the cultural landscapes that surround it in Northeastern Puerto Rico.
Visitors to El Portal at El Yunque most frequently arrive at a bus and shuttle drop off location amidst a heavily reconstructed and verdant plaza space full of native rain forest ecology.
The sequence from the drop off to El Portal is the visual cue of a seating and meeting moment under a lightweight shade structure which then leads to an elevated pedestrian bridge and procession to the Visitors Center beyond.
The pedestrian bridge allows an appreciation of the lowland forest and the ocean beyond, stressing the vital ecological connections between the two.
The accessible trail at El Portal includes interpretive signage informing visitors about the surrounding flora, fauna, and cultural history of this landscape.
Elements of the original design, including the main hall, the upper courtyard, and the water feature were modified to give way to a newer design vision, accommodate current needs, and comply with current codes and sustainability standards.
Revitalization of el Portal de El Yunque
Hurricane recovery sparks a complete reimagining of El Portal’s offerings.
Situated within El Yunque National Forest, the El Portal Visitors' Center, originally designed by Sierra Cardona Ferrer in 1996, was redesigned and fully refurbished after damage from Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017. Marvel and Interlink Construction led the project, applying sustainable strategies such as solar energy, water harvesting, and green infrastructure to enhance the original design, aiming for LEED Silver certification. Completed in December 2021 with an $18.1 million budget, the renewed El Portal now features a plaza, gardens, café, and the only accessible trail in the National Forest, while achieving LEED Gold certification. It reopened in January 2022 as a community hub, showcasing the local environment, history, and culture.
Hurricane recovery sparks a complete revimagining of El Portal’s offerings.
Situated within El Yunque National Forest, the El Portal Visitors' Center, originally designed by Sierra Cardona Ferrer in 1996, was redesigned and fully refurbished after damage from Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017.
Marvel and Interlink Construction led the project, applying sustainable strategies such as solar energy, water harvesting, and green infrastructure to enhance the original design, aiming for LEED Silver certification. Completed in December 2021 with an $18.1 million budget, the renewed El Portal now features a plaza, gardens, café, and the only accessible trail in the National Forest, while achieving LEED Gold certification. It reopened in January 2022 as a community hub, showcasing the local environment, history, and culture.
“El Portal is an integral part of one of Puerto Rico’s biggest tourist attractions and, as such, it is an iconic destination. Playing a role in assuring its longevity and ability to remain accessible to both residents and visitors, all while preserving this fragile natural ecosystem in perpetuity was critical in our decision to take on this project.”
Jonathan Marvel, Founding Principal at Marvel
The entry plaza was imagined as a forest opening, an archetypical space for gathering.
The pedestrian bridge allows an appreciation of the lowland forest and the ocean beyond, stressing the vital ecological connections between the two.
The bright entryway includes a visitor's desk made from wood reclaimed from the wreckage of Hurricane Maria.
"It was a big lift for Marvel to take a structure that has been in use for over 20 years and make it something that's a model we can move forward with– from a facility management side but also sustainable from its footprint and all the improvements."
David Ilse, Public Services Staff Officer at El Yunque National Forest
One of the biggest modifications to SCF’s original design was the Center Court. Extensive structural damage to the iconic pitched roof required the structure to be demolished.
Marvel completely re-designed the theater, located under the upper level plaza and across a "bridge" over the newly designed water feature.
The water features were inspired by the early 20th century impoundments in the forest that provided freshwater to the neighboring communities.
El Portal contains the one and only accessible trail in all of the El Yunque National Forest. It includes interpretive signage informing visitors about the surrounding flora, fauna, and cultural history of this landscape.
Most of El Portal’s elements were at or beyond their expected usable life. The type of space for the exhibits and even the building envelope had also outlived their purpose; especially given the recent damage by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Designing harmony between nature and resilience.
Nestled within El Yunque National Forest—the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest System—the Visitor Center has been thoughtfully transformed to honor the surrounding landscape. Originally designed in 1996, the Center suffered damage from Hurricanes Irma and María, prompting a renewal that revitalizes its connection to nature. The redesign incorporates carefully integrated trails, local flora, and green infrastructure, seamlessly blending solar energy and water harvesting strategies. Today, visitors are welcomed into a vibrant, sustainable landscape that reflects Puerto Rico’s unique ecological heritage.
The whole site of El Portal is conceptualized as a series of habitats that represent El Yunque National Forest and the cultural landscapes that surround it in Northeastern Puerto Rico.
Visitors to El Portal at El Yunque most frequently arrive at a bus and shuttle drop off location amidst a heavily reconstructed and verdant plaza space full of native rain forest ecology.
The sequence from the drop off to El Portal is the visual cue of a seating and meeting moment under a lightweight shade structure which then leads to an elevated pedestrian bridge and procession to the Visitors Center beyond.
The pedestrian bridge allows an appreciation of the lowland forest and the ocean beyond, stressing the vital ecological connections between the two.
The accessible trail at El Portal includes interpretive signage informing visitors about the surrounding flora, fauna, and cultural history of this landscape.