Archinect - News

Álvaro Siza's self-named Serralves Museum expansion opens in Portugal

2024-02-19T12:28:00-05:00

The Serralves Foundation in Porto, Portugal, has shared photos of its recently inaugurated new wing designed by and named for the country’s beloved Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Álvaro Siza.

The 45,000-square-foot expansion is the fifth building designed by Siza for the foundation after the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art (1999), Manoel de Oliveira Cinema House (2019), Gardeners’ House (2021), and the restored Serralves Art Déco Villa (2021).

"With a wing dedicated to the Permanent Collection and Architecture, the Serralves Museum is more than ever an institution where the present is fully activated and where the recent past is settled and decanted. It allows the institution to fully take responsibility for its history and legacy, as well as for its role as the leading institution in Portugal dedicated to the history and the present of contemporary art and culture," Director Philippe Vergne stated.

Photo: FG+SG

The new wing was realized in Serralves Park to the western side...

Portuguese architectural workers have announced a new union

2022-07-20T09:00:00-04:00

Architectural workers in Portugal have announced the formation of a new labor union following months of debate and deliberation.

The group known as Movimento dos Trabalhadores em Arquitectura (MTA) is saying they have adopted a constitution and bylaws following its declaration of intent to organize a union, which they made on May 1st, 2021 — International Workers’ Day — at the Casa Sindical de Campanhã in Porto. The new union will go by the name SINTARQ (short for “Sindicato dos Trabalhadores em Arquitectura”) and be steered by a temporary committee until national elections can be held at a later date and time.

“This moment could only be achieved through the hard work, dedication and solidarity of everyone who has contributed, in one way or another, to this cause over the last three years,” part of the group’s statement reads. “Along the way, it has become clear that better work...

BIG reveals designs for a new Farfetch hillside corporate headquarters in Porto

2021-09-28T14:06:00-04:00

A futuristic new headquarters for one of Portugal’s hottest companies will form the basis of an innovative hillside “smart valley” in the country’s Porto region according to renderings unveiled today by BIG.

Image courtesy BIG

Fashion retailer Farfetch will serve as the anchor in the Danish studio’s expansive new FUSE VALLEY development overlooking the Leça River in the town of Matosinhos.

Image courtesy BIG

From end to end, the nearly two-million-square-foot development creates an elongated and art-filled commercial village ideal for corporate and community use alike.

Image courtesy BIG

Twelve tailor-made individual buildings connect through a winding program of landscaped terraces that feature plazas, parks, and public courtyards along a central axis road. Each building represents a different aspect of Farfetch’s core business and will incorporate design elements like open attic mezzanines and biophilic interventions to create an immersive natural working environment for all of the...

The World's Longest Pedestrian Bridge Opens In Portugal

2021-05-06T12:23:00-04:00

What’s the last best place for the world’s largest pedestrian bridge? If your answer is suspended 500 feet over a river gorge, you may have a new post-Covid bucket list destination.

That is the predicament for the newly-opened 516 Arouca, which this week began accepting thrill-seekers interested in walking over its 1,693 foot span.

516 Arouca, photos courtesy of 516 Arouca

The bridge, which sits over Portugal’s Paiva River, features a mesh tray offering views of the surrounding Arouca Geopark, a UNESCO-affiliated institution that includes a 10th Century monastery, quartz veins and many other breathtaking natural views. Visitors to the bridge can feel somewhat at ease running their hands up the steel cable that connects each side to two massive v-shaped concrete towers built by Portugese construction firm Conduril in collaboration with studio Itecons, which was responsible for its design.

516 Arouca, photos courtesy of 516 Arouca

The project costs ran north of €2.3 million and took e...

Portugal apartment renovation by Mass Lab features a blue modular design

2018-09-14T15:13:00-04:00

Mass Lab has renovated Pinheiro Manso Apartment, located in the center of Porto, Portugal, for an integrated flow of space. The dwelling was previously a disconnected 2 floor typology with small, closed off rooms seeing little sunlight.

Pinheiro Manso Apartment by Mass Lab, located in Porto, Portugal. Image: Mass Lab.

The newly remodeled space features blue wood panelling on the inside and a connected design to the outdoor courtyard. A modular wall contains the different functions of bathrooms, cabinetry, kitchen, and eating area.

Pinheiro Manso Apartment by Mass Lab, located in Porto, Portugal. Image: Mass Lab.

The bedrooms are located on the first floor allowing the basement to used as a social space. A blue wooden staircase was inserted to connect the two floors and serve as a modular wall on the ground floor.

Pin...

Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos completes concrete and wood sports facility in Portugal

2018-09-06T18:08:00-04:00

The Pavilhão do Atlântico sports facility by Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos was recently completed this year in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. The brutalist gymnasium was built to serve both the local Pedro Barbosa School and community.

Pavilhão do Atlântico by Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos, located in Viana do Castelo, PT. Image: Joao Morgado.

The firm's design includes a 6997 sq. ft surface to accommodate volleyball and basketball, and includes four adjacent changing room blocks each with a capacity for 15 to 20 individuals.

Pavilhão do Atlântico by Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos, located in Viana do Castelo, PT. Image: Joao Morgado.

The facility also includes an entrance space with a reception, surveillance area, and a cafeteria.

Pavilhão do Atlântico by Valdemar Couti...

Álvaro Siza Vieira completes off-grid, minimalist chapel in Portugal

2018-07-12T14:15:00-04:00

Described as "a pure architectural project" by the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, the Hillside Chapel he recently completed has no electricity, heating or running water. Instead, the modest chapel relies on natural ventilation, and clever use of materials such as insulated bricks and limestone to create an off-grid, conceptually interesting materialization of faith.

The chapel is surrounded by natural landscape, making it a peaceful, spirit-restoring retreat. All images courtesy of João Morgado.

Aerial view emphasizing the geometry of the chapel and its surrounding natural landscape. All images courtesy of João Morgado.

One of Portugal’s most celebrated architects, the Pritzker Prize winner was approached to design the Capela do Monte by a Swiss-American couple. The couple, who have been living in Portugal's Algarve region since the mid-1980s, are building out a spiritual retreat in the country's southernmost region for which the non-denominational space will serve as a focal point.

S...

NOARQ creates a curved house for a triangular lot in Portugal

2018-01-23T15:59:00-05:00

A new project titled CASA ED & JO features a clean and curved design by NOARQ. The renovated house is located in Famalicão, Portugal with tucked away patios inside a triangular urban plot.

CASA ED&JO by NOARQ located in Famalicão, Portugal. Image: João Morgado.

The lot is highly exposed due to different topographies between the adjoining streets. For this reason the house is closed on the north side to create more privacy. The house opens up on the east side where light enters the kitchen and the whole of the south facing front is open under a curved shade cover.

CASA ED&JO by NOARQ located in Famalicão, Portugal. Image: João Morgado.

The house consists of two floors rehabilitated from the original structure. The first floor was expanded to preserve the garage, entrance, and vertical access storage area.

CASA ED&JO by NOARQ located in Famalicão, Portugal. Image: João Morgado.

The second floor functions as the main area of the house consisting of open lounging rooms and the more p...

A minimalist vintage clothing store by Gustavo Guimarães pops up in Porto

2017-11-30T19:58:00-05:00

Portuguese vintage clothing label Mão Esquerda Vintage has a new shop nestled in the 19-square-meter ground floor of a historic building in Porto. Refurbished by Atelier Gustavo Guimarães, the intimate space shows off trendy minimalist aesthetics fused with the “raw, traditional vibe” of Porto.

Working with the irregularities of the slender space, the Gustavo Guimarães team's objective was to create a flexible design that can display a large, eclectic collection of vintage clothes.

Photo: Nelson Garrido.

The resulting design focuses on two main curved elements, the architects describe. Complemented by the existing textured marmorite flooring of the building, “the first [element] is a gridded floor-to-ceiling wall made of oak that serves as a partition and also allows for a storage area behind. The second is a two-level iron hanging rail that allows the shop to change its configuration based on the items on display.” The store also features a refurbished counter that once belonged to...

m2.senos creates a public restroom coated in green ceramic tile for a cemetery in Portugal

2017-10-26T14:32:00-04:00

The very first public toilets were introduced in 1851 in London’s Crystal Palace. George Jennings, a Brighton plumber, installed what he referred to as 'Monkey Closets' in the Retiring Rooms of the glass-and-iron hall for the Great Exhibition, where over 827,280 visitors paid a pretty penny to receive a clean seat, a towel, a comb, and a shoe shine. After the success of Jennings' lavatory, public restrooms began to appear in the streets and are today ubiquitous despite becoming a political battleground for civil rights, and facing persecution all over America, and beyond.

One might not naturally think of the restroom as a central design element, but the humble bathroom has been shaping the spaces we occupy since Jennings' Hyde Park innovation. For instance, toilets are one of the first elements drawn in the plans for high-rise buildings before tenant's needs are worked out. Beyond the functional, restrooms can be quite beautiful as well from the resid...

Design Pieces of Portuguese Ceramics and Architecture highlighted at 100% Design

2017-09-18T00:01:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Ceramics, Portugal Does It Better

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APICER’s Ceramics, Portugal Does It Better campaign is ready for the first 2017 official participation in UK's largest trade event for architects and designers, that takes place in London, between 20 – 23 September. This will be a unique opportunity to show at 100% Design the singularity, quality, innovation and heritage of the Portuguese Ceramic Industry with a …. Twist!

Porto Cruise Terminal by Luís Pedro Silva. Credit: TCrL: FG + SG

Architecture and Design will be the...

ateliermob designs a flood-resistant canoeing station in Portugal

2017-01-19T12:28:00-05:00

The town of Alvega, Portugal is located on the banks of the Tejo River. Following a public competition, ateliermob was selected to design a canoeing station on a beach along the river. The building, which contains storage facilities, changing rooms, a cafeteria and a dock, had to be designed to withstand regular winter flooding as well as minimize soil degradation.

From the architects:

The building is divided into three parts, separated by circulation lanes, which result from the different programs. To the east, the largest body is the storage space of the vessels and storage compartments, relating directly to the dock area (which already existed in the northeast end of the intervention area). The middle body agglutinates the sanitary facilities and changing rooms. Finally, to the west, in the smaller scale body, is located the cafeteria. These three bodies are installed on a concrete platform supported on pillars, which extends north and west, giving rise to an esplanade that was con...

The four and a half days that Portugal ran entirely on renewable energy

2017-01-02T14:14:00-05:00

The 130 giant wind turbines that sprout from the peaks, slicing the air with a rhythmic sigh, have helped Portugal to a remarkable achievement. For four and a half days in May the country ran entirely on electricity from renewable sources: wind, hydro and solar power. Despite fears of a blackout, the lights stayed on for a record 107 hours between 6.45am on Saturday 7 May and 5.45pm the following Wednesday.

AL_A-designed Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) opens in Lisbon

2016-10-04T19:49:00-04:00

Lisbon's new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology officially opens October 5, spread across two structures: the renovated interior of a former power station, and a new kunsthalle designed by AL_A.

The MAAT was founded by the EDP Foundation, a private Portuguese organization primarily focused on energy and environmental concerns, and their extension into society and culture. MATT's construction extends EDP's preexisting art campus on the banks of Lisbon's Tagus River, and is part of an ongoing urban revitalization project along the historic waterfront, which includes Vittorio Gregotti’s Cultural Centre of Belém and Paolo Mendez de Rocha’s Coach Museum. Materially, the building is also meant to directly reference its site's craft tradition, made of 15,000 three-dimensional ceramic tiles.

AL_A's design for the MAAT includes a massive, low-slung roof that extends into the public space—allowing visitors to walk over and under it—intending to bridge the waterfront and the city. The m...

Pedro Gadanho leaves MoMA to become first artistic director of Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon

2015-07-06T19:08:00-04:00

The new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) in Lisbon recently selected architect and writer Pedro Gadanho as its first Artistic Director. Gadanho is leaving his post as a curator in MoMA's Department of Architecture and Design, which he's held since 2012 – a relatively quick departure for such a high-status role. He will start at MAAT in October of this year, working to define the museum's cultural program, which aims to be "an exciting contemporary programme at the intersection of art, architecture and technology."

At MoMA, Gadanho worked alongside Senior Curators Martino Stierli (current) and Barry Bergdoll (former) as MoMA put out exhibitions like Tactical Urbanisms. He is already a respected entity in Portugal, having curated the Portugal Pavilion for the 2004 Venice Biennale, as well as numerous other local exhibitions. He holds an architecture degree and a PhD in Architecture and Mass Media from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP), as we...

Portugal’s architects lead new hotel trend

2014-04-28T19:09:00-04:00

Architects don’t invent anything; they transform reality”, Álvaro Siza Vieira, the giant of Portuguese modern architecture, has often been quoted as saying. Could it be that a need to transform reality then, or even to escape it, is at the root of a new wave of architectural projects in the Portuguese hotel industry?

Kenneth Frampton to receive Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award 2013

2013-12-18T18:43:00-05:00

Architecture critic, historian, and professor Kenneth Frampton was named as the 2013 laureate for the Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award on Dec. 15.

The award recognizes a person or practice whose work and ideas have had a lasting influence on architectural theory and practice today. This year, the Lisbon Architecture Triennale commissioned Portuguese artist Fernanda Fragateiro to design the prize.

Frampton will accept the award at a ceremony taking place at Lisbon’s Centro Cultural de Belém in early January 2014. He will also give a featured lecture at the event.

"The jury composed by Beatrice Galilee, Gonçalo Byrne, Guilherme Wisnik, Juhani Pallasmaa, Mónica Gili, Taro Igarashi and William Menking chose Kenneth Frampton for his outstanding contribution to architectural theorization and critical reflection, both as as lecturer and author of countless articles, essays and monographs.

A graduate of the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, Ke...

Josep Lluís Mateo completes Cultural Center in Castelo Branco, Portugal

2013-12-10T19:47:00-05:00

Architect Josep Lluís Mateo has now completed the final phase of the Castelo Branco Cultural Center in Portugal. Mateo first proposed the design, which won first prize, in an invited competition in 2000. The new Cultural Center in the historic town of Castelo Branco features an ice-skating rink, an exhibition space, and an auditorium — all integrated into one fluid structure.

Here's a few photos of the new Cultural Center:

To see more, head over to Bustler.

Photos by Adrià Goula.

"Relocation of the D. Maria Pia Bridge" proposal by Bandeira/Ramalho calls attention to urban regeneration policies

2013-10-22T16:14:00-04:00

In a recent international call for ideas to regenerate the Aurifícia block in Oporto, Portugal, architects Pedro Bandeira and Pedro Nuno Rumalho figuratively and literally made a monumental statement in their proposal to dismantle and relocate the decommissioned D. Maria Pia Bridge into the city center. The defunct bridge is described as a work of art and potential landmark that will revitalize the cityscape of Oporto. Although the architects didn't place in the competition, their proposal still makes a forward statement by tossing out the traditional idea and function of a bridge and it also brings attention to the failure of urban regeneration policies.

Below is a more detailed project description written by and received from freelance architect and journalist Ana Laureano Alves:

"Two architects, Pedro Bandeira and Pedro Nuno Ramalho proposed the relocation of the Eiffel’s D. Maria Pia Bridge to the city center, exposing its actual uselessness (not in use since 1991) and dras...

Work Towards Fairness: Restoring the Casa do Passal in honor of its humanitarian owner

2013-07-29T16:40:00-04:00

The opening of Work Towards Fairness by architect Eric Moed signifies the first step towards the restoration of Casa do Passal in central Portugal. The Casa do Passal was formerly inhabited by Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat who helped around 30,000 people escape into neutral Portugal against governmental orders during WWII during the fascist dictatorship of Antonio Salazar. Moed's great-grandfather and grandfather, who are both architects, were among those saved. Aristides' job and home were confiscated by Salazar, and Aristides died impoverished. His heroic actions went unnoticed and his home remained in ruins at Cabana de Viriano.

Moed dedicated his thesis at Pratt Institute to restoring the Casa do Passal when he discovered his family's story. He wanted to honor Aristides through architecture, the skill that the diplomat enabled 3 generations of his family to practice personally and professionally.

After winning 5,000 Euros in a competition from the UNHAT...

House in Tavira by Vitor Vilhena

2012-12-12T14:34:00-05:00

Context
South of Portugal, Algarve, Tavira. Here the ocean peeks, while the 400 olive trees surround the house. An old building has to give place to a new one, keeping the two- volume-footprint in the soft topography.

Solution
Based on the area occupied by the pre-existence, maintaining the orientation of the housing compartments south, the architectural concept seeks to create two parcels with separate identities, including one volume with irregular geometry and other volume of regular geometry that communicate through a glass hallway. The surrounding outdoors relate to the terrain, landscape and vegetation.

Vitor Vilhena Architects
Location – Tavira, Algarve, Portugal 400 m2
Building costs: 1.3 M
Started: 2011
Finished: 2012

PACMAN Recycling Containers Win Iberian Urban Equipment Prize

2012-05-17T15:26:00-04:00

For the second consecutive year, Portuguese design office AND-RÉ has won the Iberian Urban Equipment Prize - Larus/Architectures, this year in the category Urban Furniture with "PACMAN", a captivating design that sets out to change the mindset of citizens in their relation with recycling. In 2011, the office won the award in the Lighting Design category with the "Verso" lighting system.

BLUETUBE BAR by DOSE

2011-12-14T17:31:01-05:00

Portuguese collective DOSE has sent us images and a fascinating time-lapse video of their project BLUETUBE BAR, a temporary bar to operate at the annual academic festival in Oporto, Portugal, Queima das Fitas. The project won the student competition sponsored by the School of Architecture at Oporto University.

Archinect - News

Álvaro Siza's self-named Serralves Museum expansion opens in Portugal

Portuguese architectural workers have announced a new union

BIG reveals designs for a new Farfetch​ hillside corporate headquarters in Porto

The World's Longest Pedestrian Bridge Opens In Portugal

Portugal apartment renovation by Mass Lab features a blue modular design

Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos​​ completes concrete and wood sports facility in Portugal

Álvaro Siza Vieira completes off-grid, minimalist chapel in Portugal

NOARQ creates a curved house for a triangular lot in Portugal

A minimalist vintage clothing store by Gustavo Guimarães pops up in Porto

m2.senos creates a public restroom coated in green ceramic tile for a cemetery in Portugal

Design Pieces of Portuguese Ceramics and Architecture highlighted at 100% Design

ateliermob designs a flood-resistant canoeing station in Portugal

The four and a half days that Portugal ran entirely on renewable energy

AL_A-designed Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) opens in Lisbon

Pedro Gadanho leaves MoMA to become first artistic director of Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon

Portugal’s architects lead new hotel trend

Kenneth Frampton to receive Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award 2013

Josep Lluís Mateo completes Cultural Center in Castelo Branco, Portugal

"Relocation of the D. Maria Pia Bridge" proposal by Bandeira/Ramalho calls attention to urban regeneration policies

Work Towards Fairness: Restoring the Casa do Passal in honor of its humanitarian owner

House in Tavira by Vitor Vilhena

PACMAN Recycling Containers Win Iberian Urban Equipment Prize

BLUETUBE BAR by DOSE

BIG reveals designs for a new Farfetch hillside corporate headquarters in Porto

Valdemar Coutinho Arquitectos completes concrete and wood sports facility in Portugal