Portuguese Architecture Research Articles

The Rediscovery of Japan: The Critical Reception of Japanese Architecture in Portugal after the Opening of Japan to the West

The opening of Japanese ports to the West in 1854 enabled the rediscovery by the rest of the world of Japan as a country, which, until then and throughout the more than two centuries of the Sakoku or closed country period, had maintained an isolationist policy in relation to the outside world. This opening up allowed for contact with Japanese art, including architecture, which was progressively absorbed by Western art, giving rise to Japonisme. Portugal was receptive to Japonisme, even if that receptiveness was motivated more by a taste for the exotic than genuine interest in the values of Japanese art. Even though its influence on Portuguese architecture was practically zero, Japanese architecture was divulged in Portugal. The aim of this paper is to determine an initial understanding of the reception of Japanese architecture in Portuguese books and architecture-related magazines published in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The investigation is sustained in interpretative-historical research, and seeks to assess how the contact with Japanese architecture unfolded and also examine the reasons behind its dissemination in Portuguese publications. This assessment is preceded by a contextualisation that sets out to clarify the reception given to Japonisme in the Portuguese art scene.

Raúl Hestnes Ferreira, the time span of an architectural archive

The article intends to demonstrate the challenges that an architectural archive faces in order to render records accessible to the public, focusing the analysis on the specific collection of Raúl Hestnes Ferreira. The various occasions when the records were consulted have been justified in the article. This began with the development of my doctoral studies, through to the post-doctoral fellowship in 2015, having had the privilege of visiting the architect’s studio between 2007 and 2018. Following his death in February 2018, all records were donated by his family and integrated into the Marques da Silva Foundation (FMS). Since this date, I have collaborated with the FMS in the identification and organization of this collection. If the statement that archives are the documentary by-product of human activity retained for the long-term value holds true, the value of the Raúl Hestnes Ferreira collection is unquestionable for the understanding of Portuguese architecture and our identity as a country.

Element Analysis and Sustainable Development of Portuguese Architecture

This paper mainly analyzes the elements of Portuguese architecture. Finally, according to the results of field investigation and historical data analysis, some reference suggestions are put forward from the perspective of cultural heritage protection

Participatory architecture of the Saal and the Porto School

This article analyzes the experience of the Porto School in Portugal in the 1970s with regard to the housing deficit and its interactions in the political and social process of the April 25 Revolution. The Porto School has become a "synonym" of Portuguese architecture in recent years, in which the media has become relevant by opening to the public's knowledge the work of architects. The Porto School was thrown into the whirlwind of social movements of the 1960s, in which students wanted more than an academic model, arguing that the course should enable the architect to answer social questions, so that students and teachers of the former School of Fine Arts of Porto – now The Faculty of Architecture of Porto – starred in an important project that became known as the Local Ambulatory Support Service (Serviço de Apoio Ambulatorial Local [Saal]) Operation. The process of participatory architecture called Saal was an important milestone in the course of Portugal's housing policies with international repercussion, having a greater visibility in the city of Porto. Although brief in the period that it was in force (1974-1976), its great differential was the participation of residents in the project process, a fact that was still unheard of, putting architects, workers, and the government “side by side”.

Natural Interaction Design for Navigation in Virtual Environment of Sino-Portuguese Architecture in Museum

Virtual Environment (VE) is an artificial environment created for providing the information in Virtual Reality (VR). The audiences are able to obtain the information via interaction to the environment. Virtual Reality for Culture heritage buildings, which are inherited from past generations and maintained in the present, is an interested topic because its contents often built for giving the information and knowledge about the past to the new generation in virtual museums. However, there is a limitation of Virtual Reality (VR) applications in reproducing cultural sites as most of these applications are not successful in catching public’s attention and involvement. In this research, we focus on using Natural Interaction (NI) interfaces based on a body movement in Virtual Reality for museums to grab attention from audience and to increase public’s involvement. This paper presents the development of Natural Interaction using Microsoft Kinect to define the new grammar of gesture for Sino Portuguese Architecture which is a cultural heritage of Thailand. Results of early tests improved the prototype in progress which alllows more complexity in natural interchanges and connection between users and virtual world. The final result was evaluated after the system was installed in Peranakannitat museum and by interviewing 6 docents. It was found that our system was easy to use as it took only about 3 - 5 min to familiarize the system for navigation in the virtual environment without recognizing the grammar of gesture commands.

The notion of limit in architectural theory. Two case studies in Portugal

Modern Portuguese architecture has been seen as the result of an eminently empirical and intuitive practice, dissociated from any effort of theoretical structuring. This paper intends to contradict that predominant view, presenting the notion of spatial limit as a subject that earned particular consideration from a younger, more critical and intellectually demanding generation of architects. Firstly, it introduces two notions directly related to limit - ‘extensions of the dwelling’ and ‘transition-space’ - presented in theses by Nuno Portas (b. 1934) and Pedro Vieira de Almeida (1933-2011) respectively, two highly innovative works in the academic panorama of early 1960s. Next, it focuses on the fundamental role each of the notions taken in investigative works that are parallel in time but substantially different. The first, Habitação evolutiva, is a typological study reflecting the spirit of its time by claiming the ‘right to the city’ as the founding principle of a model critical of CIAM urbanism. The second is an essay stemming from a critical reflexion on the work of an eclectic architect that eludes categorization (Raul Lino, 1879-1974) which sheds light on the need for a critical approach to the history of modern architecture.

Architecture and Steel Prototype in Steel Structure with Equal Angles Steel Profiles, in Greek cross Shape, Applied in an Architectural Project

This is the second of two companion articles which aim to address the research on architecture and steel. In the first article, some architectural projects were analyzed to show the potentiality to conjugate architectural conception and steel structures (in sight), as well as to show the contribution and influence from architectural history. As a result of the previous work, this second article discusses the development of an innovative prototype in steel structure, which constitutes a modular system applied for a single-family housing. In this prototype, steel is part of the design concept, not only as a structural element, but also as an aesthetic element. The needs of contemporary “living” are reinterpreted, considering all the changes and cultural influences due to globalization, compared with the living in Portuguese popular architecture, with its simplistic character and minimal spaces, and referring to a place. The proposed modular system, which is applied repeatedly, shows a huge potential for reorganizing, in a short period of time, urban areas with housing shortages in cases of emergency, while respecting population needs and providing construction quality. This Prototype Model, which combines the architectural concept with the lightweight character of steel structures, aims to provide an “other” way of “living”. It transmits “harmony” both in the experience of the interior space and in its relationship with the outer space, respecting the cultural references. In this study, the prototype is applied to popular Portuguese schist architecture, combining the basic structuring idea and the way how the project develops for the application of the conceptual and constructive process, thus relating two periods of architecture.

THE REUSE OF INDUSTRIAL TANNERIES. ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE IN GUIMARÂES, PORTUGAL

Abstract. The city of Guimarâes (Portugal) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and European Capital of Culture in 2012. From the 14th to the 19th century it was characterized by its Portuguese architecture using traditional construction techniques and materials, and known for its leather, metallurgical and cutlery industry. This study examines two former tannery factories dating from the 19th century, and occupying a sizeable portion of the historic centre of the city. They are located close to the Couros river, their main source of water, but also where the tannery waste produced by the tanks where the skins were tanned, is deposited. This text focuses on three main concepts - rehabilitation, reuse and sustainability - through the analysis of two historical moments. The first of these, the past, is viewed through a timeline of events recorded in plans, photographs, documents, and historical facts. A formal spatial comparison of these records and the present buildings shows how the present use of these spaces and their respective functionalities can be observed in parallel with the past. This before and after comparison shows a progression from industrial activities to a cultural valorization of an architectural, urban and environmental space, as well as the development of the industry in a new context evoking the collective memory of the place.

A influência da arquitetura na moda brasileira e portuguesa

No presente trabalho olho a influência da arquitetura na moda bra­sileira e portuguesa a partir das coleções de alguns estilistas brasileiros e de um estilista português. Para tanto, faço um breve histórico da vestimenta social da moda e mostro a influência da arquitetura brasileira nas coleções de estilistas que contribuíram com a história da moda, vendo as influências das arquiteturas de Lina Bo Bardi, Oscar Niemeyer e Ruy Ohtake em algumas co­leções de estilistas brasileiros. Finalmente, apresento uma coleção do estilista português Miguel Gigante com forte influência da Arquitetura Portuguesa e as tradições medievais das Aldeias Históricas de Portugal.

Stucco Marble in the Portuguese Architecture: Multi-analytical Characterisation

ABSTRACT The presence of stucco marble in the Portuguese architecture is not surveyed and studies addressing the materials used to produce it are almost inexistent. In this paper, the results of the multi-analytical characterisation using XRD, SEM-EDS, Py-GC/MS and the determination of capillary water absorption and dynamic modulus of elasticity of 15 samples belonging to seven case studies are presented and discussed. XRD showed that gypsum is the main constituent, but anhydrite is also present in most samples. These results were consistent with the observations by SEM-EDS, attesting temperatures of calcination above 350ºC. The use of a multiphase gypsum plaster as a binder was probably intentional. The treatment of the surfaces, which is used to obtain an aesthetical appearance similar to the natural stone, has also a major influence in the main properties of the final materials. The search for organic compounds showed the presence of animal glues in the inner core and beeswax and oils at the surface. The dynamic moduli of elasticity are extremely high in the samples incorporating anhydrite and the capillary water absorption is almost inexistent. The results obtained intend to contribute to promote sustainable interventions on this type of materials, namely the future development of compatible restoration products.

Incorporating Form-Based Codes into the Design-Based Approach to Historic Building Conservation in Phuket, Thailand

In Thailand, the concept and measurement of urban planning rely on conventional zoning, which includes land use, building usage, and open space ratio. Conventional zoning focuses on both the growth of buildings in terms of physical dimensions and their usability in lowland areas. The guidelines and measures used in urban planning do not reflect the spatial relationship of the community, as they have a less detailed design and place no emphasis on the identity of the district. Urban planning might not protect the sense of any given place, as it often uses a one-size-fits-all plan that is then applied to whole communities. Form-Based Codes (FBCs) are urban planning tools that are used to maximize land use, benefit the public, focus on creating a specific physical form, and design the development and public spaces in a way that matches the community’s vision. FBCs are the result of the cooperation between stakeholders, architects, urban planners, government agencies, and members of the local community who are willing to create a plan for their public space and to preserve the physical characteristics of the city. In this paper, we aimed to understand the relationship between various historical contexts and the FBCs using the case study of Phuket’s old town, which has a fusion of Sino–Portuguese architecture. Building form standards suitable for Phuket’s old town were created by comparing them to a baseline case that uses existing codes and regulations and using the FBCs’ components. FBCs have the potential to enhance the character and vibrancy of the historic area by improving façade design and preserving the sense of place and community pride. The results support the hypothesis that FBCs are able to supplement conventional zoning in historic districts. Recommendations for a local historic preservation commission and communities that are considering the adoption of FBCs for historic resources and districts are provided.

AS ABÓBADAS DE CAIXOTÕES NA ARQUITETURA PORTUGUESA DO SÉCULO XVI E O CONTRIBUTO DE JOÃO DE RUÃO


 
 
 
 No Renascimento, o emprego de arcos quartelados e de abóbadas de caixotões constituiu um recurso marcante na arte e na arquitetura, dada a sua associação sugestiva à arte e arquitetura romanas. Em Coimbra, João de Ruão será um personagem fundamental na divulgação destes novos elementos formais no âmbito da produção de peças de arquitetura específicas. Na sua senda, Diogo de Castilho irá aplicar abóbadas de caixotões nas igrejas dos novos colégios (Graça, S. Jerónimo) afirmando a cidade do Mondego como um importante foco da arquitetura portuguesa do Renascimento. Uma questão importante será a definição de uma formulação “canónica” para essas abóbadas que tenderão (em finais do século XVI) para a conformação de um número ímpar de fiadas, com a afirmação de uma cadeia central de caixotões – uma evolução que replicava o que sucedera em outros contextos artísticos, mais “centrais”, da Europa, como a própria Itália.
 
 
 

Diverse Perspectives. A Review of Women Architects: Mode(s) of (R)existing. Reflections Based on a Cycle of Talks

The book Women Architects: Mode(s) of (R)existing. Reflections Based on a Cycle of Talks (2018, edited by Patrícia Santos Pedrosa, Joana Pestana Lages, and Lia Gil Antunes, Lisbon, Women in Architecture Association, 100p), published as a bilingual collection (Portuguese and English), is structured around thirteen narratives by women architects, from a cycle of talks which took place from September 2017 to March 2018 in Lisbon. The book presents a concise record of the event’s purpose, which was to initiate a debate that takes into account both the gender perspective and women architects’ invisibility, as well as their multiple implications in the creation of Portuguese architecture, cities and territories within a traditionally male profession.

Portuguese Architecture in Transit(ion)

In the final years of the Estado Novo regime (1933–1974), the Amsterdam Town Hall International Competition of 1967 presents the opportunity for seven teams of Portuguese architects to confront their own reality and rehearse distinct visions of building and city. From a national context, politically and geographically distant from the heart of the disciplinary debate of the 1960s, the proposals submitted set the terms on which Portugal competes in Amsterdam, revealing in the diversity of approaches and experiences forwarded by this new generation of architects the vitality of Portuguese architecture on its path to internationalisation. This article retraces the Portuguese participation in the Amsterdam Town Hall Competition to refute the generalised idea of cultural mismatch with the European scene of the time and assesses the impact of this particular event on the transition of Portuguese architecture to international recognition, an impact that Portuguese architecture historiography has to this day completely ignored.

Luiz Cunha, “international but brief” [and pop!

Luiz Cunha (1933-2019) is recognised for his singular and eclectic architecture, which stands out in the Portuguese context, as well as for his production as a highly skilled draughtsman and a passionate painter. His extensive body of work has received a certain attention and research and his production is read as part of a movement for the renovation of religious architecture, as an individual creative expression, or as part of a fantasist trend towards postmodern Portuguese architecture. Lesser attention, however, was devoted to his writings, drawings, unbuilt projects and unbuildable paper architectures. An analysis of that corpus reveals a surprising production especially in the early years of his career; he was an attentive spectator of the international debate and, more importantly, a translator of some of these ideas into Portuguese reality.Based on graphical documentation, writings, and a long personal conversation, this article proposes a rereading of Cunha's activity, focusing on his exploration of pop expression through a) drawing — merging the aesthetics and the mechanics of comics and cartoon into architectural representation, b) buildings — employing a formal techno-pop repertoire and experimenting with complex structures, always with a distinct sense of humour and c) architectural discourse — entering the international debate on megastructures and capsules of the time, while actively promoting Portuguese architecture. Analysed chronologically, this production allows a retracing of the evolution of Cunha’s thinking and reveals a figure who is “international but brief” — in Nuno Portas’ expression — constantly halfway between regional architecture and space-age capsules.

Survey on Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Vernacular Houses in Madeira (Portugal)

Vernacular housing in the Island of Madeira (Archipelago of Madeira, Portugal) is built anonymously. This architecture is made by the people and for the people without the aid of an architect. This built heritage demonstrates the relationship between the population and its surroundings, through the care with which they treated the climatic constraints and that is clearly related to the seasonal variation of temperature, regardless of cultural differences and of the level of development of each community. The Island of Madeira has temperate climates characterized by mild temperatures all year round. The climate is largely influenced by the Eastern branch of the Azores anticyclone especially from spring to autumn. These buildings are strongly marked by an agricultural economy and are characterized by great regional diversity. The agricultural feature took care of the fertile alluvial land, giving rise to the first settlements. However, with the growth of the population began the conquest of the coast, occupying the dense forest that provided them with good timber for local consumption and for export. With the land tamed, the next challenge was to control the waters, the first paths between the places of difficult access, which carried the waters of irrigation at various locations, including the north and the south shores. The built vernacular heritage of the Island of Madeira had a primary function of shelter, and then housing and nowadays new uses are being implemented. The research and study of the essence, the behaviour, the possibilities of traditional technologies used in a specific territory are like the rediscovery, always renewed, of the profound meaning of the Portuguese architecture. This paper analyses through surveys whether a very specific type of vernacular heritage housing in the Island of Madeira provides comfort. In fact, questionnaire responses from the initial survey regarding 66 vernacular houses were analysed to understand the residents’ satisfaction with the existing conditions through post-occupancy evaluation. Several variables were associated with dwelling and thermal comfort. This way, a post-occupancy evaluation is proposed including energy monitoring for fine-tuning and increasing energy efficiency as well as for gathering knowledge for planners and developers. This study not only provides valuable information for future housing sustainable rehabilitation but also it may enable the identification by the Local Authority of ways of improving the quality of life for residents.

Pre-Existence and Project – Álvaro de Campos Municipal Library

The Portuguese architecture – from traditional architecture to nowadays – is universally famous for the attention that gives to its territorial implementation. The way the architecture is placed in a particular location, as well as the way the location is changed by the presence of the architecture – the way it is redefined – are questions inherent in any architecture, particularly the Portuguese architecture, which has responded with special care in general terms. This document aims to investigate the pre-existence in architecture, to see it as a starting point and an essential tool that allows the creation of unique projects. The purpose is to obtain a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the topic in question, in order to understand the processes that create buildings and cities through the ruins. Tavira is a Portuguese city in the district of Faro, region and subregion of Algarve, and one of Algarve’s cities that has a strong tradition regarding its built past. It is in this context of a strong urban identity that Álvaro de Campos Municipal Library is implemented. The architectural proposal is born in the old prison of Tavira, built in the 20th century and converted into a municipal library. Thus, we intend to study and investigate the potential of Álvaro de Campos Municipal Library and, based on its analysis, to substantiate the explanation of the project, its architectural strategies and solutions.

Portugal dos Pequenitos as an urban laboratory for rehearsing national identity

AbstractPortugal dos Pequenitos (literally, ‘Portugal for the Little Ones’), a theme park built in Portugal as part of the Centenarian Commemorations of the Portuguese Nation of 1940, has been considered one of the most controversial pieces of Portuguese architecture in the 20th century. Designed between 1937 and 1962 by Architect Cassiano Branco, at the initiative of Bissaya Barreto, it features reproductions of uniquely typical Portuguese architecture built to a child's scale. It includes buildings from mainland Portugal, from the Azores and Madeira islands and from the colonial territories in Africa and Asia. The main aims of this paper are twofold: firstly, to frame Cassiano Branco's architecture in its specific context, in terms of historical contingencies and architectural controversies during the Estado Novo (New State) Portuguese dictatorship (1933–1974), and secondly, to assess the importance of Portugal dos Pequenitos as a laboratory for rehearsing an idyllic urban environment, applying hypothetical principles of national identity.

Steel and Light in the Reinhabit of Ruins with a Scenographic Character

In Popular Portuguese Architecture, there are a large number of buildings that we should have as a reference and whose essence should be analyzed during the rehabilitation or development of the project, in order to create a connection to the place and to keep their identity. These places, full of history and memories, give us the idea of scenarios which can be traversed and which present us with light and the surrounding nature in each opening. The introduction of the New involves its characterization in modern architecture as being the one that should be able to establish a connection to the past without destroying it and without renouncing to its means of expression. This way, these concepts reflect the importance of connecting in the same urban mesh, as a living organism, two periods in which one does not override the other, but that, in turn, add value to each other. In popular architecture, the dwelling space is adapted by Man through his way of living and experiencing the place and it can be compared to the ‘Living Machine’ of Le Corbusier. Both had to respond to the psychological, functional and spiritual needs of the people, through the building simplicity and the study of light entry in the spaces. The illumination of the spaces was not designed to the meet human needs not even those for domestic purposes. Inhabiting immediately assumes the relationship with the surroundings and the orientation of the sun, and, in this sense, illumination is one of the most important elements in architecture. The Light is the “soul” of architecture, as it gives life, movement and different dimensions and depths to it by using natural illumination during the day and artificial at night. The illumination should be part of the conceptual process of the project, as the structural part is and of everything, that is part of an architectural project and of its peculiarities.

Contemporary On Rehabilitation of Popular Architecture

As architects, we must respect and protect the identity and the Genius Loci of the place we intervene. Popular Portuguese architecture, as one of the references chosen for this investigation, consists of housing clusters whose need arose from population growth. This type of construction uses local materials that lose their identity when removed from this context. Ruins of shale or granite, only with its imposing walls, located in strategic places due to subsistence reasons, with a subtle history and culture, maintain intact its essence and character to inhabit. It is increasingly important, necessary and urgent to protect this heritage, where there are precious lessons to be learnt from coherent and harmonious villages, with a functional simplicity, framed in the landscapes that surround them. Recovering the heritage, being in many cases in the phase of ruin, allows architects to conjugate new concepts within the existing ones. Starting from the analysis of all these premises and of the need to rehabilitate these places, a modular system composed of metallic structures with an L-shaped profile was developed. This conceptual and building system consists of loose elements, for a better adaptation to each place, client and topography, gaining an identity in each composition. The choice of steel profiles allows the architectural project to acquire aspects such as the lightness of the conceptual language, resistance to internal efforts and minimisation of the selectable area, together with easy transport and handling in the assembly during construction. These are some of the characteristics that justify the use of these steel profiles in the rehabilitation of ruins, creating a repetitive modular system, as if it was a “living organism” that interrelates to the existing one.