Searching for the Essence of Architecture at Porto School

João Pedro Xavier,Francisca Mesquita,Teresa Calix

doi:10.51588/eaaeacp.34

Abstract

The Faculty of Architecture at the University of Porto (FAUP), founded in 1979, and benefiting from the legacy of the School of Fine Arts (ESBAP), is internationally recognized and a worldwide reference in architectural teaching. Important names of the ‘School of Porto’ studied and lectured at ESBAP and FAUP. Fernando Távora (1923–2005), Álvaro Siza (b. 1933) and Eduardo Souto de Moura (b. 1952) — the last two Pritzker Prize winners, among many other distinctions — might be considered the three pillars of the school, although their contribution cannot be considered without their predecessors, the group of people they worked with and the Portuguese particular context.

Highlights

Both these masters’ strong personalities — embodied in their pedagogical action — and the space where the didactics take place — a project by one of them — are omnipresent and might be considered the better ‘not so hidden’ secret of our School. These three architects were linked in teaching practice, profession and life. They experienced a master/disciple relationship at a certain point, and later shared, as professors, a strong idea of School; Souto de Moura worked in Siza’s office, and Siza in Távora’s, and they made together several architectural works; most importantly, they became very good friends! At different stages they were responsible for Architectural Design Studios, Construction, and Theory and History courses
Souto de Moura is the only one still active at the school, being called to participate in juris, conferences, seminars, advanced courses, and in a new Ph.D. optional course related to Theory and Architectural Design Practices
Perhaps the most lasting influence in the school was Távora’s, who was responsible for the firstyear course General Theory of Space Organization, to which we all attended

Summary

Introduction

Both these masters’ strong personalities — embodied in their pedagogical action — and the space where the didactics take place — a project by one of them — are omnipresent and might be considered the better ‘not so hidden’ secret of our School. They experienced a master/disciple relationship at a certain point, and later shared, as professors, a strong idea of School; Souto de Moura worked in Siza’s office, and Siza in Távora’s, and they made together several architectural works; most importantly, they became very good friends! At different stages they were responsible for Architectural Design Studios, Construction, and Theory and History courses.

Results

Conclusion