Understanding the Spatial Poche

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE A LOOK AT THE WORK OF AIRES MATEUS: THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN PEN, PAPER AND SPACE WITHIN THE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF PORTUGAL. PORTUGAL | SUMMER 2019 SHELLEY J. WARNER

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE A LOOK AT THE WORK OF AIRES MATEUS: THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN PEN, PAPER AND SPACE WITHIN THE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF PORTUGAL. PORTUGAL | SUMMER 2019 SHELLEY WARNER ROBERT S. BROWN ’52 FELLOWS PROGRAM - STUDENT FELLOWSHIP

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

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LEIXÕ|ES CR CRUUIS ISEE TE TERMI RMINNAL • PPICI ICINNAS DAS MARE RESS • C ASA DA AARQUI RQUITTEC TU TURR A • C ASA DE ROBERTO IV IVEENS • 3

INTRODUCTION | A HUMBLE ART

Fundação de Serralves back courtyard, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | INTRODUCTION

This book came about in a somewhat unconventional way - it acts as a collection of thoughts, much like a journal. After my semester abroad in Italy during the fall of 2017, my life forever changed. I was in a country that acts as the formidable force to all young architecture students. In my third year I came face to face with the projects I knew to be some of the greatest works in the history of architecture; it was truly awe inspiring. My trip to Portugal can be seen in the same light; and this book can be thought of as the archive of the unforgettable experience.

I didn’t realize it then, but a book I came across one October night in Rome - while visiting the Notre Dame Rome Center per our professor’s request to sit in on a commentary he was part of - would come to inspire the pages to follow. This collection of thoughts does not strictly follow the book in question, “Robert Venturi’s Rome”, by Stephen Harby and Frederick Fisher, but it does discuss my movement through a series of spaces within a rich and dynamic landscape known as the great country of Portugal.

I came to realize this is the only way I ever hope to travel - completely and wholeheartedly immersing myself into the culture of a foreign nation. For me, architecture is so personal; it is deeply woven into the fabric we inhabit, and therefore impacts us so profoundly. Not all architecture can strike us, but those few great works can, and it all starts with a pen, some paper, and a brilliant idea.

It was my trip to Portugal that led me to discover the humbleness of architecture.

I never saw space that made me think of what it means to be modest or hidden. In a way, the vernacular architecture of Portugal is meant to take a back seat to the context it is within. I don’t find this to be one hundred percent literal, but in a figurative sense, the architecture I came across throughout this beautiful country was at times subtle, hard to find, and more of a series of operations distributing light rather than an occupiable space meant to display grandeur like many works in Italy.

Do not misunderstand me, there are splendid spaces within Portugal’s landscape, and in many cases the chapels rival those of smaller Italian churches. But, when studying the contemporary architecture of this small country there is undeniable purity and modesty all at the same time, and to me that is the true beauty and elegance of the nation’s vernacular spaces.

I fell in love with the work of Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus quite early in my education, but it wasn’t until my trip to Italy that I began to understand their work in a way that seemed so logical, where there was no doubt in my mind of what it meant. It was through visiting their offices and meeting Manuel that I learned the true genius behind their work. Now spoiling that so early on in the recount of my adventure would be no fun, so I will continue to tease and prod you towards the ideas that permeate their work. Architecture is truly about discovery, each person perceives their world differently, and therefore requires a lens that is both open and willing to explore the world. I have been spoiled in my travels abroad, I find myself truly embedded in a country’s culture, be it Italy for four months, or Portugal for two and a half weeks.

My discoveries come with a much clearer image of Portugal’s history because I felt so connected to the country and it’s citizens. It starts with the one thing many architects forget about, but is essential to their work: the people.

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | INTRODUCTION

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“Álvaro Siza was my neighbor growing up. What an interesting guy. He was always smoking. He lit up the next cigarette before he finished the first. He is a reflection of his work, a man like the spaces he creates. It is so wonderful that you appreciate his architecture.” This quote came from a man I met in Matosinhos, a small beach town off the northern coast of Portugal in the outer limits of Porto’s metropolitan area - Álvaro Siza’s home town. I was hot, sweaty, and dealing with a terrible skin rash, but this man completely made my day with this simple statement.

Truly, what are the odds, that the day we enter a modest restaurant - after wandering aimlessly for hours - whose owner would ask their friend - who happens to be an architect himself - to help wait on tables as he is the only one in the room who speaks any English? Beyond that, what are the chances he once lived next door to Siza as a young boy? When they say the world is a small place, they really aren’t joking.

This all came about because my father and I overheard the man speaking to a customer whom he clearly knew well. They noticed our interest, and asked us how our trip was, because we were obviously from out of town. We mentioned how lovely Portugal was and that all the sites we had seen were magnificent. They asked where we visited thus far and I remember how thrilled I was to answer. We had just visited Marco de Canavese, where we hiked up a mountain for twenty minutes just to see Siza’s chapel dedicated to Santa Maria. When I spoke of this their faces began to contort into the kindest smiles I had ever witnessed. They told us that their father’s had come from that precise town, and their love for architecture blossomed from Siza’s work; they were surprised an American architecture student loved his spaces.

So why am I sharing this long winded story with you? Because it tells the tale of the people, the very thing I enjoyed most about Portugal. I went with a deep respect for Portuguese space, but I left with a comprehension of how deeply the county’s citizens care for their nation’s architecture, which I did not expect to encounter. It would be easy to say that seeing Home in Alcobaça, or entering the Sines Cultural Center after years of studying them online or in books was the highlight - and they are no less important to me than all my other discoveries - but these spaces were not devoid of the people who live in them, in fact, the spaces came to life because they were present.

In meeting Manuel, I spoke of their architecture being so close to my heart, but what made me excited was to see the people that live and work in it love and appreciate it too. Often, architects forget about why they are commissioned in the first place. They are more concerned with the building as an artifact and its formal presence than the user. It seems simple and rudimentary, but more often than not I find this to be the case throughout my studies. I am always seeking new inspirations, but in many ways this trip inspired me to listen. More so, Manuel explained the necessity of boredom - the ability to completely remove thoughts from our head to free us up for pure creativity. Never before had I thought of such ideas; and never before had I been in the presence of a mind quite like his. You cannot fully prepare yourself for what someone like Manuel Aires Mateus might say, but it was easily one of the greatest moments of my life. I walked away understanding not only Portuguese architecture, but about what it means to see architecture as a way of life.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | INTRODUCTION

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Portion of rocks at the Tidal pools of Leça de Palmeira, Matosinhos, 1961-1995, Álvaro Siza Vieira

I found the people of Portugal to reflect the spaces they inhabit. They are truly as modest and humble, yet as thought provoking, as the white walls of their contemporary, vernacular structures. It’s quite fascinating when we compare the works of these subtle geniuses with the Casa da Música in Porto by Rem Koolhaas. Koolhaas strikes a beautiful balance with the urban fabric and neighboring public park with a meteorite-like performing arts center that exudes its foreign nature.

While holding true to its name - house of music - the Casa da Música is a hub for international performances of exceptional quality. It is also designed with a careful precision to isolate the theaters, yet connect them to the city fabric through sight-lines. Beyond all the exciting qualities this building possesses, it was once (and to some extent still) highly disapproved by the locals. The cost, appearance, and head architect were well out of the scope of what those in Porto had anticipated. More so, with Siza and Eduardo Suto de Moura(another impressive Portuguese architect) both being from the northern region near Porto, many questioned why they were not selected to design such a significant project.

The intention behind the Casa da Música was to expand Portugal’s global impact within the arts, and so the decision to bring Rem Koolhaas on as the head designer helped to carry out this goal. Koolhaas’s project is not only somewhat alienlike, but also a contrast to the local context. This felt quite jarring to the locals - some even felt the old buildings torn down for the performing arts center were more attractive.

The project is drastically different than anyone from Porto could have imaged, but it does not lack a connection to the country’s history. Private rooms for hosted events feature classic Portuguese blue and white azulejos ceramic tiles, and they depict famous scenes that link the country to Koolhaas’s home nation of the Netherlands. The project reaches beyond Portugal’s borders to link Porto to the larger arts community, and over time the city had come to accept the masterpiece.

Portugal has moved through a series of movements that bring us to what we see today- be it through the leaders of the country that would later revitalize Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755, or bring the Manueline, or Neo-Romanticism styles to featured historical structures. It’s those such as dictator António de Oliveira Salazar or beloved Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, known as the Marquês de Pombal that generated the Portugal we see it today. These are just a few of the people that helped to shape the country, its people, and culture, which we cannot lose sight of when studying it’s architecture, as the two are so finely woven together.

Casa da Música, Porto, 2005, OMA / Rem Koolhaas

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | INTRODUCTION

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THE NOLLI PLAN | A DRAWING SENSIBILITY

Second Floor Plan

Cross Section

Street Elevation

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE SPATIAL POCHE + NOLLI PLAN

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE SPATIAL POCHE + NOLLI PLAN

SSN: 2341-3050. https://doi.org/10.4995/vlc.2019.11578

I came face to face with my first work by Manuel and Francisco - The Sines Center for the Arts - in my second semester of architecture school. My case studies partner and I were so perplexed by the drawings that we starred at the El Croquis that we tracked down in the school library for days before we knew what we were drawing. We had never seen a plan where the geometry was drawn in white lines amidst a large black poched space. This idea was completely foreign to us.

It wasn’t until my second year when I became exposed to Giambattista Nolli’s 1748 Plan of Rome that I finally began to understand what they were doing. When I did my first case study of the Sines Center I truly only processed the spaces in photographs and models. Both are mediums the brothers use extremely well, but I find they do not tell the story of the private vs public space within the plan’s organizational logic as well as the drawings.

It is now that we finally arrive at my interest and intent for this wonderful trip to Portugal - that the drawings display information a photo cannot supply. The drawings specifically teach the viewer how to navigate the space, they are a navigational tool, and are in fact their own mini Nolli Map. If one is to think of the white areas as public space specifically in the case of the Sines Center the gallery space acts as fluid circulation space, and the black poche as private quarters, such as a closet or bathrooms - the building begins to take on a new meaning. We read the spaces as though they move continuously from outside inward, much like the famous courtyards and churches of the Nolli. It is an intriguing idea to think of space as being infinite. Manuel claims, “even outside there is space. The sidewalk, the grass. They all act as a transition from one to the next, and architects must consider this”.

This recalled a recent lecture at my school by Ángela García de Paredes. In her Venice Biennale Exhibition she speaks about solidspace and freespace. Both call to question the exact forces Manuel and Francisco speak of. She deals with the idea of volumes, the purpose of such, and their means of connecting back into the larger structure of the building.

It took time before I truly grasped the influence the Nolli Plan has for architects in developing methods to present their work. It’s stark contrast of black vs white generates clarity of form, but it also becomes clear to the viewers what space feels occupiable and what feels restricted. This begins to question work from Louis Khan with servant vs served space, as well as what Paredes discusses with her solidspace experiments. The richness this plan offers to architecture is limitless, but it is not always obvious; and at times it is subconscious.

Nolli Plan, Rome, 1748, Giambattista Nolli Map Supplied by University of California Berkeley Map Index

Nolli Plan Tile, Campo Marzio, 1748, Giambattista Nolli Map Supplied by University of California Berkeley Map Index

Archaeology Museum, Almería, 2006, Ángela García de Paredes and Ignacio G. Pedrosa Image Credit to: Angela Garcia de Paredes and Ignacio G. Pedrosa’s essay and Venice Biannale Exhibition entitled “The Dream Of Space Produces Forms”

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I think I was most shocked when I met with Manuel and brought up my ideas of the Nolli Plan inspiring his and his brother’s drawing sensibility. At first he seemed somewhat puzzled by my thought. The same occurred at Francisco’s office with the architects I spoke to that work in his studio. It became clear that my ideas about the spatial poche were of my own accord, which was an interesting discovery in and of itself for me. I do not find this to be a disappointment. In fact, I think it is quite refreshing.

I always found joy in seeing the Nolli next to an Aires Mateus drawing. For me, the logic became so clear once I recognized the principle guiding the two obvious parallels. It never occurred to me that the brothers came to this logic through their own sensibility about what it means to draw space, but I am no less surprised. Through their attempts to find clarity and understanding they drew what I have come to see as the spatial poche - a recognition of a boundary that possesses volumetric qualities, but its purpose or use is drawn through a sensibility about the program. This could be convoluted to an extent, but I find that it is important to distinguish their method of drawing from standard practice taught in schools. They do not simply draw space as seen by a section cut, but rather it is a way to communicate the condition of each volume.

We can draw a wall as a solid outline filled in with a black poche, we can even add a particular tone or hatch to signify gypsum wall board or the studs beneath.

This is all great and helpful to understand a room through a dimensional practice, but what about the spatial qualities? The light? The circulation? What do we do to signify these aspects of the program? Aires Mateus has tackled that question for many years, and continues to do so, but it all come back to the Nolli. Through this map we have come to understand the spatial poche - not as solid vs void, but as private vs public. It is probably The Sines Center for the Arts that displays this idea so profoundly to me. With the tall light wells, and ramping gallery spaces I find it hard not to commit an interest to the plan and section in order to dive deeper into its programmatic organization.

Sines Center for the Arts ramp from lower level gallery to upper floor gallery, Sines, 2005, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE SPATIAL POCHE + NOLLI PLAN

Sines Center for the Arts upper gallery with natural light from above, Sines, 2005, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

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“So why do you love Aires Mateus’s work? Why do you place their work above so many others’ you study?” This is what my dad asked me one morning, while trying to work out the pages of this text. What is the reason I love their work so much?

It’s hard to be asked such a straight forward question, and to find the words, but if I had to sum it up into one I would say it is because of the meaning. Their architecture strikes meaning into every action they take. The purpose is so direct, and simple that it often slaps you in the face.

As an architecture student, I find it hard to curate the precise notion of what I love, because I am exposed to so many great works of art, music, architecture, literature, and so much more. In my school we do not limit ourselves to buildings, nor do we only take pride in designing the notion of such. Manuel spoke with the same intention - he even referenced poets and chefs that moved him, and inspired his work.

The unspoken qualities of how one looks at the world is often hard to describe - but in the simplest terms I can find, Manuel and his brother are no less than Renaissance Men. They are people who care about the world in so many different facets; they are curious, passionate, and talented. It is ironic that my father, the first person I ever got to know that I deemed to be a Renaissance Man, would ask me why I love their work.

I love their work for the exact reason I respect him: they are so knowledgeable and thought-provoking that I cannot help but stare in awe at what lies before me. I remember Carla Leitao, a professor at RPI SoA and a citizen of Portugal, said to me that she would sit before Manuel for hours as he drew drawing after drawing, trying to understand how to turn a corner. Learning from such a master is a true gift, meeting him for the brief hour and a half I was afforded provided me with a lifetime of inspiration and passion. I do not know if I can put into words what this trip meant to me, and sum up what I learned, but I know it will stay with me throughout my career. More so, I know that it actually gave me an ability to grow further because it opened my mind to new ideas I never imagined. If I was to say my trip exceeded expectations, it would be an understatement. So if I learned so much, then did I learn what the spatial poche is?

The spatial poche is: an ability for volumes of space to adapt, it is the means by which private and public space is distinguished, it is a sensibility of light and how it enters a room, it is a notion of how a building sits in an urban context and finds its connection to the public, and it is ever so deeply woven into the lives of those it touches. These are the ideas that stand behind the spatial poche - an act of conviction and description - both in a drawn and a built sense. I laid witness to this idea, and I am forever grateful I was provided an opportunity to see the amazing vernacular architecture of Portugal. I learned so much from its people, but what the buildings taught me is truly infinite and connected to the architect I hope to become.

The pages that follow are personal notes, archives, anecdotes, and images that are not only meant to be shared, but revisited. This book is as much for others to learn from, as it is for me to remember my travels. I feel it is essential I share this with whomever continues on because this book is unconventional; it speaks directly to those who read it, and it is not meant to be formal. This book is as much a series of soliloquies from the traveler, as it is devotions of my love for the spaces I saw. Architecture is a deeply personal act; and the spatial poche is rooted in this idea of closeness to architecture. In order to understand we must experience space - feel close to it, touch it, breathe in all the senses it engages. That is my intention with this literature.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE SPATIAL POCHE + NOLLI PLAN

I am certainly no expert on architectural analysis, nor do I intend to use my writing to assert such. My intention is that you might pick up this “short” archive and find it funny, interesting, engaging, inspiring, or modestly educational. My trip was an opportunity to explore my deepest and wildest passions for architecture, as well as to dive deep into the many curiosities I had for the work of Aires Mateus. This project was a study of architecture as it is described through a few mediums: formal drawings on paper, photographs, sketches on site, scale models, and the physical experience of the artifact itself. In my proposal I wrote: “The work of Aires Mateus is thrilling in many facets, but primarily in its means of expression of monolithic and seemingly permanent forms; it motivates experiential study, rather than just that of drawing regurgitation. Through this, I can gain a deeper understanding of what a building expresses in drawing, and the architects intent between their dialogues...I will be able to treat my travels with the level of curiosity of a learning architect...This fellowship will provide me with the opportunity to experience and share what it truly means to sculpt space through precise geometric understanding.

As John Locke expresses with his Essay on Human Understanding, it is paramount that we experience our world in order to understand it. The intent of my project is to travel to the exceptional spaces

created by Aires Mateus with their drawings in hand in order to find the true dialogue between pen, paper, and space.”

I now feel confident in saying the underlying force that links an idea to a sketch, to a formal drawing, to a building in the work of vernacular Portuguese architecture is the people. The way an architect bends light, a surface’s edge, or a circulation pathway is the way of speaking to the people in the space - to instruct them on how to discover it’s full potential. Architecture is no less than a discussion, and the spatial poche is a conversation between the architect and inhabitant.

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

House in Azeitão, 2003, Aires Mateus

Trinity College Law School at the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 2016, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE SPATIAL POCHE + NOLLI PLAN

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THE ROOTS OF THE VERNACULAR | A DISCUSSION OF PORTUGUESE HISTORY

Convento de Cristo’s Manueline window on the church’s western facade, Tomar, 12th Century, Knights Templar

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CONVENT OF CHRIST

Before I write endlessly about Portugal’s history both in architecture and politics, I think it would be more beneficial to point out a few key projects and time periods in order to focus our thoughts. Each project I want to dive deeper into is related to a larger context, not just what surrounds it, but the entire organization and development of the city that it is set in. Portugal’s history is rich, dynamic, and inspirational to many, including the child book series by J.K Rowling, Harry Potter. It’s not purely centered around its spaces, but the characters that played active roles to revitalize entire waterfronts, dictators that ruled with an iron fist, or creative leaders that developed one of the greatest universities in the world.

The majestic complex of Convento de Cristo, located in Tomar is a work of beauty. Once home to the Knights Templar after its founding by Gauldim Pais in 1160, the site sits upon the top of a hill overlooking the town below. Famous for its protective stronghold, the castle turned convent is a hallmark of Tomar that has come to define the city tucked into the middle of the country. After speaking to Manuel’s designers while visiting his projects, we suggested Tomar and their faces lit up as they said: “Yes! You must go and see the convent! The cloister is exceptional.” When we reached the top of the hill we made our way into the entry garden only to be greeted by a myriad of styles, rooms, halls, colonnades, and beautiful stone and tile work.

A synthesis of Byzantine style mosaics in the main rotunda, Gothic Style pointed arches or Palladian Style stacked column orders within vast cloisters, and a Manueline Style choir added to the original rotunda make for a diverse and rich series of spaces. After buying the tickets to enter I remember passing into the Claustro del Cemitério and thinking it was so elegant with it’s gothic arches, brilliant blue ceramic tiles, and lemon trees making it feel so peaceful. Passing through another archway we entered a different cloister that is reminiscent of the previous, but much more subdued and it occupied two stories. As we made our way through the sacristy into the main rotunda you become compelled to look up with the byzantine inspired stone and tile work above. It felt rich and luxurious, recalling memories of my visits to San Giovanni in Laterano’s Baptistery with its octagonal plan. The Templars built it modeled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with its center occupied by a highly elaborate altar.

It was entering the main renaissance-inspired cloister that took my breath away. Everyone had told us it was a sight to see, and they were not overstating. When we finally reached it, I knew we had arrived at the cloister they had been speaking of, since there are nearly four or five different cloisters at the complex. It took me back to Rome where I fell in love with the stacked column orders in spaces such as Bramante’s cloister, or the coveted Colosseo. The space was awe-inspiring with its layered facade, feeling the depth as one crosses from the covered arcade into the open cloister’s central square. It reminded me of the Milan Cathedral, winding through the buttresses as you walk along the pathway - completely engaging with the structure.

I constantly found myself reminiscing elements of Italy while visiting Portugal because the former inspired so much of the latter. It’s remarkable to think back on a space and to feel your senses come to you from that exact moment like you are right back in that spot all over again.

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CONVENT OF CHRIST

Convento de Cristo’s entrance courtyard, Tomar, 12th Century, Knights Templar

Convento de Cristo’s Claustro del Cemitério, Tomar, 12th Century, Knights Templar

Convento de Cristo’s church’s seen from nearby cloister, Tomar, 12th Century, Knights Templar

Convento de Cristo’s Claustro de D. João III, Tomar, 12th Century, Knights Templar

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

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Much like the convent, the Tower of Belém is a famous structure for its stylistic design and role it plays in its urban landscape along the Tagus River. The tower is located in the parish of Belém, a short ride west along the vast southern coastline of Lisbon, with a rich history dating back to the 15th century. This outer region of the city is known for its role in Portugal’s era of exploration and it’s symbolic representation through the beautifully ornate architecture meant to address voyagers. Located west of the bright red Ponte 25 de Abril, the parish hosts many different sites including: the Museum for Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), the Monument of Discoveries, the Tower, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Belém Cultural Center, the Champalimaud Foundation of biomedical research center, to name a few. The parish is linked to Portugal’s dynamic navigational history, religious importance, with the tower marking voyager’s entry into the open waters of the Atlantic.

The tower is considered to be one of the most widely regarded projects in Lisbon, as it reflects the Manueline Architectural Style, which is a Late Gothic approach and was highly influential within the country for its short time span from the 1490’s to the 1520’s. It was King Manuel I who brought this ornamental style to prominence throughout much of Portugal. It’s southern facade, which faces the lower terrace along the Tagus River is the most significant of those decorated in the coveted Manueline Style. It was decorated so elaborately in order to welcome international voyagers, in an attempt to declare Portugal’s prominence and prestige.

Before reaching this lower terrace, one must pass from the main street onto a wooden walkway that moves over the water up to the drawbridge entrance. After moving beyond the drawbridge we found ourselves in the bulwark where all the artillery is kept. 17 cannons meant to fend off intruders are located facing the river between pointed Gothic arches. The floors and ceiling are sloped in such a way to drain water and move smoke from the cannons outside of the tower. Magazines once used for storage below the bulwark later became the dungeons.

The views from the upper terrace showcase the beautiful waterfront, the Jesus statue similar to that in Rio de Janeiro located in the municipality of Setúbal across the Tagus, the Ponte 25 de Abril (constructed by the American Bridge Company), and the Jerónimos Monastery. While it no longer serves as a protectorate of the Tagus estuary, the tower sits as a constant reminder of traditional, vernacular Portuguese architecture through purpose and beauty.

Torre de Belém,, Lisbon 1514-1519, Francisco de Arruda

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | BELÉM TOWER

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | BELÉM TOWER

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Jerónimos Monastery is one of the most special places in Lisbon. It’s one of the most important structures in the country, not only because it is a shining example of the Manueline Style, but because it is the final burial place of Vasco da Gama, the famous explorer from Sines, Portugal. While he did not die in Lisbon, his remains were brought to this famous monastery to lay as a symbol of his great accomplishments for his nation.

On another front, the architecture of this site calls to mind a few different ideas, but for me it felt as though it extended infinitely through space, much like is discussed of Versailles’s garden. The shrubbery and well manicured garden that sat in front of the monastery was no different - it too felt to reach out to the water with only the local train tracks and busy street dividing them, but never moving from view of tourists and scurrying locals. The dome of the monastery is iconic - a brilliant white stone that shone even through the foggy clouds, with detailed ornamentation that carried throughout the complex. Visiting the cloister and seeing the church’s dome from it’s large square made it’s scale feel ever more prominent.

A stairwell leading up off the cloister into the raised choir allowed us to see the spectacular vaulting and three aisle church initially designed by Diogo Boitac, a well known architect of the Manueline Style. The portion of the design by Juan de Castilho, a Spanish architect and sculptor drew my eye and fascination most. The ribbed vault that floats high above the choir and nave is a spectacular structure to behold. It feels reminiscent of Gothic architecture, with it’s strong ornamentation staying true to the Manueline style. Throughout the cloister, also begun by Boitac and finished

by Castilho, there is a strong sensibility of Manueline Style, but also of Moorish and other influences from the east. The rounded arches call to the Renaissance era, while Castilho brought in Spanish influence as well. The monastery is a melting pot of design as its construction spans from the middle of the 15th, well into the 16th century. It is a symbol of Portugal’s wealth and achievements throughout this era, as well as a connection back to Vasco da Gama’s expeditions, as he and his men spent the night in prayer before their voyages in the east. The site, once home to the Order of Christ, that also developed the Convent of Christ, ultimately became the magnificent structure we see today.

The five bay church columns, and vault call to mind a 19th century sketch by Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc with its ribbed bone-like skeletal structure. It feels as though it is integral to maintaining the majestic fragility of the transept as there are no piers to carry the load beyond the nave. This portion of the design calls to mind a quote by Viollet-le-Duc, a well known restorer of churches throughout much of France and Switzerland, that also makes me think of the work from Aires Mateus: “To restore a building is not to maintain it, repair it or remake it: it is to re-establish it in a complete state which may never have existed at any given moment.” The ideas behind Violletle-Duc remind me of Manuel saying to never look back to the past, but to create for a future unseen; and to design with the intention that such spaces can be adapted and transcend time. I think it is a beautiful idea to design for the unknown, but to also give presence to it. I do not know for certain if Viollet-le-Duc felt spaces should adapt to future conditions, but I think in light of AMA’s work it is important to design structures that feel authentic, yet new; and to make them appear completely unique all at the same moment to those that visit them.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | JERÓNIMOS MONASTERY

Jerónimos Monastery Cloister seen from garden, 15th - 17th Centuries, Diogo Boitac, Juan de Castilho

Jerónimos Monastery Cloister, Begun in 1501 completed in the seventeenth century, Diogo Boitac, Juan de Castilho

Jerónimos Monastery Church ribbed vault of nave, Juan de Castilho

Sketch by Viollet-le-Duc of a ribbed vault proposal, 19th Century

The city of Coimbra is set along the Mondego River with it’s hillside sitting perched precariously above. Like Porto, I found myself winding through its streets and alleyways with small arches tucked in between buildings. The medieval city is not only famous for its beauty, but for its spectacular University that is world-renowned. At the University of Coimbra students can study medicine, law, pharmacy, economics, psychology, and much more at an institute that was established at the tail end of the 13th century by King João III. The school was moved back and forth between Lisbon and Coimbra, with it ultimately planting roots atop the hillside it is perched upon today.

During our visit students were finishing up their finals and in the process of graduation ceremonies; it was a real treat to see them in their black caps and gowns throughout the main square, anticipating that would be me in a no less than a year.

When you reach the peak of the hill that the school sits upon, to the right of the College of Science there is a grand archway which leads you into this main square. Here one can find many of the elaborately ornamented campus buildings.

The square runs off the side of a hill where you find the Trinity College Building, home to the Law School and designed by Aires Mateus Arquitectos. The square is wrapped by buildings on the three sides flanking the view of Coimbra and the river below. The clock tower provides the best view of the city, which sits at the corner of the square nestled next to the Paço Real, or Royal Palace.

At the right end of the horseshoe-shaped old-campus sits the Baroque Style Joanina Library. Beautifully preserved, it called to mind the many stunning libraries of Italy, most notably Borromini’s Baroque Masterpiece of the Biblioteca Vallicelliana designed for Filippo Neri’s Oratory. Although unlike Borromini’s, the Joanina Library was rich in blues, reds, and gilded surfaces. Another unique fact is that the library utilizes a family of bats to help catch insects at night, which helps preserve the collection.

In order to keep the books and lavish surfaces safe from bat droppings the tables are covered in leather overnight and cleaned each morning. While we were not allowed to photograph the library’s interior, it’s multi-bay extents were covered in rich golds, woods, and gilded inscriptions which remind me of the libraries I saw in Italy that are rivaled by it’s grandeur.

The last space we visited at the university was a small hidden gem tucked beneath an arched passageway through the campus - the São Miguel Chapel.

Inside the space,the walls were covered with ornamental azulejos tiles, much like the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue we saw in Porto. The repeating pattern on the tiles made for a kaleidoscope effect inside the chapel. While it was narrow with only one bay, the naive did feel somewhat elongated in plan. The beautiful organ sat overhead on the wall to the right of the entrance, with pews running from it forward towards the altar. The small masterpiece, tucked into a nook of the campus, speaks to the exquisite architecture featured throughout the campus.

University of Coimbra Main Square, Coimbra, 1537, João III

Joanina Library, Coimbra, 18th Century, Commissioned by King John V

View of Coimbra as seen from the university’s clock tower

University of Coimbra São Miguel Chapel, Coimbra, Completed 1739, Marco Pires, Simão Ferreira, Manuel Ramos, and Gabriel Ferreira da Cunha

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | COIMBRA

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Is it really a trip to Europe if you don’t encounter a few Harry Potter fans?

How about a bookstore in Porto that inspires J.K Rowling so much so that it leads to the many descriptions of magical staircases, bookshelves in the library, or even the fairytale atmosphere mixed with rich wood textures that every kid sees when they watch the movies. Additionally, Rowling was so influenced by Portugal and it’s history that she named the evil Hogwarts founder of Salazar Slytherine after the famous dictator António de Oliveira Salazar who ruled the country from 1932 - 1968. After teaching in Portugal for a number of years, Rowling clearly felt deeply connected to the country, so much so that she dedicated her third book to her flatmates while in Porto.

The space of the Livraria Lello book store was designed by engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves in 1906 after José and António Lello, two brothers whom always dreamed of becoming booksellers, finally brought the space to life. The first sight you see is the beautifully shaped and crafted staircase and the bookcases alongside it that appear to rise into “clouds” made of wood. “Thou who walked the room, shall then see a staircase which is a piece of surprising allure, for its apparent lightness which masks the audacity of its design. One feels the urge to climb it yet fears one’s weight may make it crumble.” (In Catálogo 1930 of Livraria Lello).

Porto has many other beautiful sites to offer those searching for great architecture, but what I found to be so exquisite was the culture, the city sitting along the hillside of the Douro River, and the famous port wine. Made with brandy, to preserve it, this sweet dessert wine was an exceptional treat while visiting Porto. While it was tough to navigate at first, the primarily above ground metro system took us across the river to Gaia where many of the port wines are produced. While there we stopped in Jardim do Morro, where we were able to see the magnificent view of Porto. I’ve only seen a few cities that really blew my mind from a nearby cliff: the villages of Cinque Terre, Matera, Rome, but Porto is definitely on that list. It wouldn’t be right to not paint a picture of a country for all it has to offer, and while Porto has so much more, it also presents a beautiful frame of its architecture set along the river that was so memorable.

Porto as seen from Jardim do Morro in Gaia

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | PORTO

Livraria Lello second level, Porto, 1906, Francisco Xavier Esteves

Livraria Lello entry, Porto, 1906, Francisco Xavier Esteves

History can only hold relevance if we learn from it and move forward. With that being said, I think it is only fair to speak of the significance the Lisbon Metro System plays in the daily lives of people in the contemporary era. Everyday people enter the metro to commute for work, meet friends, and reach their homes, but each time they enter the underground tunnels they are greeted with some of the most riveting artwork, tilework, and colorful landscape within Lisbon.

The metro system was designed using the famous Portuguese azulejos tiles and bright artwork in order to help with passengers well being below ground. The goal was to make the spaces bright and light. I found the different stations to be a great guide tool as well. It was helpful for my father and I to use landmark architecture in the metro to familiarize ourselves with our whereabouts; I can only imagine how this also helps locals move smoothly through the city.

The Lisbon Metro is the oldest in the country with it’s first line opening in 1959.

Over time they would come to build four distinct lines: blue, green, yellow, and red all having their own flare, personalities, and unique tilework. 1998 saw some of the largest expansion to the metro system with the Expo coming to the Parque das Nações in eastern Lisbon of that same year. The four metro stations shown here were all added that year, ready for the visitors of the Expo, along with the new Oriente Train Station designed by Santiago Calatrava in 1994.

Architects designed stations that were unique by playing with platforms, structural columns, and depth of light. I remember a trip to Oriente Station in the early morning and coming into Olaias, then followed by Chelas metro stations. I had never seen such tall, bright, and colorful spaces below ground. It was amazing to witness such spaces hidden below the grounds surface. I look back and think how rich Portugal’s history was, but also how bright it’s future is. The innovations of what is possible with space in the country is so inspiring that even a simple ride on a metro car made me stop and take a picture.

Baxia-Chiado Metro Station - Blue and Green Lines, Lisbon, 1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Alameda Metro Station - Red Line, Lisbon, 1998, Manuel Taínha

Olaias Metro Station - Red Line, Lisbon, 1998, Tomás Taveira

Chelas Metro Station - Red Line, Lisbon, 1998, Ana Nascimento

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | LISBON METRO SYSTEM

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Two pages is not enough to convey the magic of Sintra and it’s majestic castles and palaces that appear to twinkle in the hillside, but it’s history is inevitably a part of Portugal. When you reach the top of the hill on which Pena Palace is precariously perched, you are not only winded, but exhausted from the long lines. Nonetheless, the wait is worth every second for the chance to witness the colorful residence. The luxurious palace was built

by Prince Ferdinand II and his wife Maria II (originally from Rio de Janeiro) after they purchased the property and nearby sites such as the Moorish Castle in order to develop it as a summer residence for the Royal Family.

The site - dating back to the middle ages - was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary with a small chapel which King Manuel I transformed into a Monastery for monks after being struck by the beauty and importance of the site. The monastery would become a ruin due to lightning and a terrible earthquake that decimated much of Lisbon and its nearby areas. The site became what you see today in the mid to late 1800s under Ferdinand II. The palace reflects an eclectic series of styles including: neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic, and neo-Renaissance. Each style is reflected through various terraces, ornate windows, arcades, and facades. There are also inspirations drawn from the great Convent of Christ in Tomar for the neo-Manueline window of the main facade, as well as influence of the Torre de Belém in the red clock tower with the Moorish bartizan turrets at all four corners.

The Moorish Castle, which sits on a neighboring hill captures elegant photos of the castle amidst the lush and rocky cliffs. The sweeping walls of the castle glide along its own hillside, in order to protect the stronghold that once stood in its place. While it was originally constructed in the 8th century to protect the primarily agrarian community, it would later see many different rehabilitations in order to preserve the structure due to impacts of the 1755 earthquake. While I was not able to make it to the top, for fear of falling, the winding walls and chapel tucked into the nooks and crannies of the hillside still offered me many wondrous views of the many nearby palaces located within Sintra, including that of Pena Palace.

The third site we visited in Sintra (but certainly not limited to only these three) was the National Palace. It was used as a royal residence between the 15th century to the late 19th century, which helped to keep it’s medieval interior well preserved. While visiting it my father and I noticed that many of the azulejos tile scenes depicted familiar events - images Rem Koolhaas used in the Casa da Música. It was a nice treat to see at the end of our visit.

Palácio da Pena, Sintra, 1854, Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege

Palácio da Pena entrance to chapel, Sintra, 1854, Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SINTRA

Palรกcio da Pena entrance to chapel, Sintra, 1854, Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SINTRA

Palรกcio Nacional de Sintra, Sintra, 15th Century

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Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, 8th century

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | MOORISH CASTLE

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | MOORISH CASTLE

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE FREEDOM | ARCHITECTURE OF ADAPTATION ATELIER CECÍLIO DE SOUSA - AIRES MATEUS, 2017 SANTA CLARA 1728 HOTEL - AIRES MATEUS, 2016 VILLA NOVA DA BARQUINHA SCHOOL - AIRES MATEUS, 2009

INTIMACY | PRIVATE HOMES OF AIRES MATEUS HOUSE IN MELIDES - AIRES MATEUS, 2009-PRESENT HOUSE IN AZEITÃO - AIRES MATEUS, 2003 HOUSE IN ALCOBAÇA - AIRES MATEUS, 2011

LIGHT CANNONS | SUN MEETING SPACE

RECTORY BUILDING OF UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA - AIRES MATEUS, 2002 GRÂNDOLA MEETING CENTER - AIRES MATEUS, 2016 CASA DAS HISTÓRIAS PAULA REGO - EDUARDO SOUTO DE MOURA, 2008

PURITY OF FORM | THE WHITE ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE PAVILHÃO DE PORTUGAL - ÁLVARO SIZA VIEIRA, 1998 FUNDAÇÃO DE SERRALVES - ÁLVARO SIZA VIEIRA, 1991-1998 IGREJA SANTA MARIA MARCO DE CANAVESES - ÁLVARO SIZA VIEIRA, 1996

PUBLIC SPACE | THE URBAN GATEWAY SINES CENTER FOR THE ARTS - AIRES MATEUS, 2005 EDP HEADQUARTERS - AIRES MATEUS, 2015 SANTA MARTA LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM - AIRES MATEUS, 2007 MAR DO ORIENTE OFFICE BUILDING - AIRES MATEUS, 2008

THE PORTUGUESE | A PEOPLE EMBODIED BY THEIR SPACES CASA DE ROBERTO IVENS - SIZA’S CHILDHOOD HOME - ÁLVARO SIZA VIEIRA, 1961 MUSEU CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN - COLLABORATION, 1969 ALCÁCER DO SAL ELDERLY RESIDENCE - AIRES MATEUS, 2010

“I remember the first reaction of not seeing anything. I approached with freedom to react, and as I looked I saw a very strange shape, as if it were a basket turned upside down. Something very strange, hardly recognizable…And this one from Souto de Moura and Siza was strange and I, in the beginning, even found it fundamentally ugly. It was obviously a catchy object, strong but ugly. Then I went there for a few hours and realized that the problem was not the project. The pavilion was beautiful. The problem was I was not able to understand it, I did not have that door open for this way of drawing and that drawing was not possible for me yet…This is the real interest in architecture: we discover something opening up a new possibility in relation to the world.” (Manuel Aires Mateus Interview with Gabriel Kogan and Renata Mori)

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

Trinity College Law School at the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 2016, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

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FREEDOM | ARCHITECTURE OF ADAPTATION

I remember walking up to the third floor of Manuel’s studio and feeling like I was crossing the precipice into a realm of pure inspiration. On the walls were painted frescos of the world’s great minds and thinkers alike. Books were flung across the long table, a feature that many families would cherish to have at the holidays, but here it stood for a man to work out the many thoughts in his head. Beside the books were sketches and variations of tableware designed for a collaboration in the works. Along the floor were a mixture of paper and concrete models all varying in their intricacies and form. I felt as though I had set foot into the mind of the man himself - Manuel Aires Mateus.

It is sometimes hard to put into words what meeting one of your idols feels like, and what it will ultimately mean for the future of your career one day. When I met Manuel, the man behind the buildings I had studied for the last four years of my life, I couldn’t quite contain the mixture of emotions I was feeling. As I expressed earlier, architecture is a deep and sentimental art; it strikes us in ways we cannot fully comprehend.

After taking a few breaths and finding my voice, I spoke up to ask, “Yours and your brother’s work has been a huge inspiration to me. I met my best friend studying it and I have an immensely personal connection to it. So thank you. It appears as though your projects are so easily adapted and taken over by its occupants. They feel so perfect for their use. Can you speak to this?”

I never expected the answer to follow would be worth the two and a half weeks of traveling all summed up in about ten minutes of discussion. Truthfully, it would have been enough to inspire me for the rest of life. The conversation ensued for about an hour and a half, but these words will never leave my memory: “Architecture is connected with life. Its natural. Everyone can make space, but it is about introducing meaning. Trying to connect projects with life. It is more than form and shape. Architecture is to see space from the inside, or a street. We need to start from this point. We must talk about the effects and its impact, and allow for possibilities to occur. Freedom. Sustainability is the center of architecture. We normally think of this as engineered science, but how can the space adapt?

“The typology of the convent is incredibly important to Europe’s architectural development. It takes on many roles and because they are free and open due to the clearness of the structure, the program can adapt.

These words came less than two days after I had visited the Convent of Christ in Tomar.

The handful of cloisters, passage ways that weave between the larger masses of space, and a chapel that recalls the Baptistery at San Giovanni in Laterano; everything suddenly became much more than magnificent spaces I had seen; they now had purpose and clarity. It was thinking back on my visit to this convent - once home to the Knights Templar - that I discovered how right Manuel was. The space was adaptable, it was clear, and more importantly it was free.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | ATELIER CECÍLIO DE SOUSA

Manuel’s office on the piso nobre at Atelier Cecílio de Sousa, Lisbon, 2017, Manuel Aires Mateus Image Credit to: Rui Cardoso

Manuel’s office for Aires Mateus Arquitectos at Atelier Cecílio de Sousa, Lisbon, 2017, Manuel Aires Mateus

Digressing back to the studio of Aires Mateus Arquitectos (AMA), it acts as a perfect example of architecture that is not only designed with adaptation in mind, but also transcends its own era. The five floor studio was once a palace for a wealthier Portuguese family with grand spaces and views of Lisbon’s hills. Atelier Cecílio de Sousa sets a perfect example of how space adapts to new needs over time.

According to Mariana, an architect and designer practicing under Manuel that I met while touring the work of AMA, when Manuel procured the property and began renovating it for his studio it took a turn when the global economy crashed. He then decided to adapt the design and spaces for a multi-functional apartment with all necessary amenities in order to potentially sell the property. As the office began to take off and the economy turned around, he readapted the space to work as his studio, with the piso nobre (noble floor) dedicated for a private oasis to work, think, and create. The wall and ceiling frescos required careful preservation. In some cases they had to move the floor height in order to adjust for the building settling over time.

It was a careful art, but in the end it created a beautiful work space that has all the comforts and joys of a home and studio.

Even the rooms that are less utilized feature flexible function. On the fifth floor there is a large set of rooms that share a kitchen space, beautiful views of the hills and private courtyard below. These rooms became the home of Manuel’s Cornell students during a visiting charrette. As a space for the students to work and sleep, it showcases its adaptability. More so, in recent years he hosted an exhibition on Álvaro Siza Vieira’s drawings. It is a testament to how Manuel not only consistently practices this idea of freedom and sustainability in his commissions, but also emphasizes it in his own inhabitation.

The garden for the property is exceptional. It can be accessed from all levels of the studio with an intricate weaving of staircases and openings tucked into clever niches. The green grass and turquoise water pops against the white stucco and stairs, while the local stone acts as a calming neutral texture. The modesty of the space does not undercut it’s complexity - by this I mean to say that even small details, such as ruins of old stone arches or columns, were left in the courtyard to act as memories of what once stood. Each element adds to the dynamism of the space, and created a palimpsest of eras before our eyes. It is a beautiful compliment to a studio space that speaks well beyond its intention, staying true to Manuel’s notion of adaptability and freedom.

Manuel’s office light well for fifth floor stair at Atelier Cecílio de Sousa, Lisbon, 2017, Manuel Aires Mateus

Fifth floor flexible space at Atelier Cecílio de Sousa, Lisbon, 2017, Manuel Aires Mateus

Courtyard for AMA at Atelier Cecílio de Sousa, Lisbon, 2017, Manuel Aires Mateus

Courtyard stair to fourth and fifth floors with reflecting pool for AMA at Atelier Cecílio de Sousa, Lisbon, 2017, Manuel Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | ATELIER CECÍLIO DE SOUSA

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Hotel Santa Clara 1728 is similar to the previous project as it is a restoration of a palace in a historic district (Alfama), and both possess a freedom and clarity of plan that resonates throughout all of Aires Mateus’s work. Each bedroom in the hotel is tucked into the quirky walls of the palace perched on a hill near the Church of Santa Engrácia, which is now the modern day National Pantheon. This luxury hotel sits along a calm street with its main entrance tucked behind small vehicles parked along it’s facade. It’s neither bold, nor tame - it’s rhythmic window placement and neutral limestone trim-work creates a clean elegance, while it is brightly colored with sky reflected off the glass set behind dark black iron railings.

I remember staring at it in photographs and thinking I would recognize it easily, but it takes a moment to find it amongst its peers. I think this speaks to Manuel and Francisco’s ability to fold their architecture into a complex, historical fabric. The hotel blends into her surroundings, not entirely unlike a chameleon, and with a careful practice and art. Once you approach its entry, you are forced to step up to greet it, as though it sits on a slight plinth. You immediately feel as though you have landed in a contemporary castle. It preserves the arches and stonework of old, with clean plaster walls and a grand couch waiting to be lounged upon.

The rooms are modest, yet luxurious - each is devoid of extraneous furnishings and accessories. As you cross the threshold to each hotel room, you feel as though are in a truly intimate space. The flexibility and segmentation of each space within the suites allows for the guests to customize their experience, and to operate free of constraints placed on them by the architect. In reality, the rooms are quite bare with no TV or additional amenities. It is about the pure experience of space.

“I am being asked to design one room cabanas, and hotel suites without televisions. This new idea of luxury is about the absence of excess and materialism. People are looking to be closer with the fundamental elements of life”. This idea is really the root of Aires Mateus’s work as of late. It is all about more from less. I think this can be seen especially in the private homes of AMA. There is a clear intensity of the detail, and they do not skimp on quality. Most of the living space is found beyond the walls. Manuel claims, “We must be bored in order to create!”

This means that we need to unplug ourselves from the world in order to be free. Clients are intrigued by this idea, and in turn it is creating a new dialogue with architecture: how can we design spaces so that we are forced to think and interact not only with others in it, but it itself; and how might this change overtime?

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOTEL SANTA CLARA 1728

Hotel Santa Clara 1728 Entrance, Lisbon, 2017, Aires Mateus

Hotel Santa Clara 1728 Entrance, Lisbon, 2017, Aires Mateus Image Credit to: Juan Rodriguez

Street Elevation

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOTEL SANTA CLARA 1728

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Hotel Santa Clara 1728 Bathtub, Lisbon, 2017, Aires Mateus

Hotel Santa Clara 1728 Sink, Lisbon, 2017, Aires Mateus

Hotel Santa Clara 1728 Bedroom, Lisbon, 2017, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOTEL SANTA CLARA 1728

Hotel Santa Clara 1728 Shower, Lisbon, 2017, Aires Mateus

Second Floor Plan

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOTEL SANTA CLARA 1728

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Courtyard at Vila Nova da Barquinha Elementary School, 2009, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | VILA NOVA DA BARQUINHA SCHOOL

Education is something that not only teaches us about freedom, it truly enhances it. We cannot be free without knowledge, and the Portuguese truly value their education from an early age. I visited Vila Nova da Barquinha School with two members of Manuel’s team: one of his lead architects, Cassandra Carvas, and an intern from Italy who studies at Peter Zumthor’s School (at which Manuel teaches) in Switzerland. Collectively, these girls taught me the varying philosophies of education in Portugal, the more specific ideas behind the school in Vila Nova, as well as through Martina’s Italian lens. All of this offered me a new way to view the work I was seeing. It possessed a deeper meaning when I was able to understand the intention for the project, as well as how the students were to be educated.

This school is quite exceptional. From the first days of kindergarten all the way through fourth grade, this school not only requires students to take science classes that speak of the solar system, the Periodic Table of Elements, or the idea of “lift” as it relates to birds and planes, but it also has an inhouse interactive science museum. The space operates for the students to learn and discover real concepts about the world through natural means - play. Additionally, the students receive a full education in history, math, English, music, and many other subjects.

When interviewing Manuel, you could tell he holds a high regard for this project and the moral obligation it serves the students. Brought about as a dedicated mission to bring the sciences to children at an early age, this elementary school received funding through connections (and presumably the university) in Aveiro, Portugal. He explained how a project like this is truly “once in a lifetime”, and extremely special. You could even see his adoration for how the students received the project when he explained that the students would take off their shoes upon entering their classroom in order to keep their school clean.

They seemed to respond to the quality of the space as though they needed to protect the white walls and floors, which is so beautifully unusual.

What I found most special, was that the school was designed like a village. With a program so large, and unlike any other, the school needed to operate in a way that allowed for the students, teachers, and parents to adapt and bend it to their needs. When Manuel and Francisco approached the design for the school, they needed to find a means of seeing the project for them it was the concept of a village.

Courtyard at Vila Nova da Barquinha Elementary School, 2009, Aires Mateus

“Playground” at Vila Nova da Barquinha Elementary School, 2009, Aires Mateus

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The school’s program exists through two manifestations: the interior circulation ring that connects the learning spaces linearly, and the labyrinthine courtyard that snakes between the academic volumes. Manuel claims, “Every time that I visit the school I get lost in the courtyard, but the kids, the kids always find their way.” I think this is a beautiful idea about architecture and the powerful qualities it possesses. Think of visiting your own design and finding its spaces confusing, and at times losing your sense of direction along the way. Now imagine stopping and asking a kid for directions. Its a unique twist of events where the user of the space knows it better than the architect. It makes me think of Christopher Nolan’s Inception - designing a maze only for others utilizing the space to know the direct path. It’s quite peculiar, yet profound.

Looking more closely at the plan’s organization the outer ring is comprised of a narrow hallway that links up the larger gathering spaces and overarching subjects of study. This would also include an auditorium, cafeteria, library, bathrooms, gymnasium, and the coveted science museum. There are also access points to the exterior landscape and interior courtyard trapped within the school’s walls. At the main entrance is the only means of reaching the classrooms for each grade level. Here the students and teachers pass from first into second and third grades, and at the end come to the fourth grade common room.

Each common room has three smaller classrooms branching off it for lessons, as well as bathrooms.

The courtyard is the link between all these spaces. It acts more like a fluid region that allows students and teachers to jump across the entire expanse of the school. It relies on the kids sensibility about where they are, the pavilion or windows they passed, the foliage attempting to grow in the cracks between the rubberized paving and the crisp, white facade of the building all helping the students to find their bearings.

It is through the bright and colorful coats hanging in the classrooms, the chairs of primary colors, the drawings on the walls, and banners reciting the schools motto that make the sterile white space feel like so much more. It is not uncomfortable, it is not stark, but instead it is a protected psyche of a student body.

Much like the work of Adolf Loos, Aires Mateus is cautious in how a user can stake their claim over space to not only personalize it, but re-imagine it; and that is the true mastery of an architect. The students artwork hanging in the hallways act as landmarks, the science museum is a cheerful indoor playground, and the coat racks are like colorful flowers in a field of white plaster. Manuel spoke of the personality in the building coming from the students - they embody the color they inject into their space.

Parti Diagram

Perimeter hallway at Vila Nova da Barquinha Elementary School, 2009, Aires Mateus Figure: Martina, intern for AMA

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | VILA NOVA DA BARQUINHA SCHOOL

Grade classroom at Vila Nova da Barquinha Elementary School, 2009, Aires Mateus

Cafeteria

Science Class

Kitchen

Gymnasium

4th Grade

Cafeteria

Cafeteria

Science Kitchen Class Kindergarten (Seasonal)

Kitchen

Museum Entrance

Science Class

3rd Grade

Gymnasium

Gymnasium 1st Grade

4th Grade

4th Grade Auditorium

Kindergarten (Seasonal)

Museum Entrance

Museum 2nd Grade Entrance

Kindergarten (Seasonal) 3rd Grade

3rd Grade

Main Entrance

Library 1st Grade

1st Grade English

History

Auditorium

English

Auditorium 2nd Grade

Library

English

2nd Grade

LibraryMain Entrance

Main Entrance History

Plan Diagram

History

Circulation Diagram

Doorway + Window Datum

Longitudinal Section

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | VILA NOVA DA BARQUINHA SCHOOL

Doorway + Window Datum

Doorway + Window Datum

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INTIMACY | PRIVATE HOMES OF AIRES MATEUS

I want to preface this section by saying how special it is to enter a home designed by Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus. They are truly exceptional spaces, and can make you see an opportunity in even the smallest of details. I never dreamed I would be able to visit one of these projects, let alone a collection. Aires Mateus projects are well known for their iconic use of white and natural Portuguese stone.

When we rolled up behind Cassandra, an architect from Manuel’s office, to a new construction site in Melides, I was shocked to be greeted by a red brick home. It was unlike anything I ever imagined to find, and the story behind it is quite fascinating.

When dealing with the client, Manuel had a few challenges. The primary issue was it could not be built with concrete. I think when I first heard this, my mouth hit the floor - Manuel’s projects tend to not only be experimental in form, but such designs tend to require concrete for structural stability. Beyond this, the project didn’t break ground for ten years. The design process was long and arduous, but what I saw proved that all the careful planning was well worth the wait.

In order to build the home without concrete, Manuel turned to local materials of the Alentejo region: bricks. The brick used in this project is made in the area and even blends in with the dirt from neighboring mountains, helping to camouflage it from sight of nearby homes (and by “nearby” I mean long winding dirt roads between tall hills). The design began to operate around the modular unit. The entire scale of the squared plan home is entirely built around the size of the bricks and the necessary mortar joint. The archway dimensions, the size of rooms and patios, the grout spacing lining up with furnishings - everything has been thought of through the lens of the brick.

The construction of the home’s interior is built with stud walls clad in brick, while the exterior patios are formed using load bearing, masonry walls. The lintels above each trabeated archway is contained inside the wall using a metal shelf, rather than displaying it on the exterior facade. The same can be said for the interior of the home as the floors blend with the walls in order to create a seamless effect when entering the space. In order to make the space more comfortable, the floors were coated in a solution to soften them for bare feet. There are doors both made of wood and metal clad in brick to convey whether there is a space behind it or a “servicing room” to supply utilities to the home.

The home’s plan features space for two families - the owner’s and an attached guest home. Each of the spaces are bridged together with a series of patios that move as a ring around and between the two enclosed volumes. The plan of this project is very similar to that of the School in Vila Nova, as the outer ring of patios acts as the hallways did in order to distribute inhabitants throughout the property. In addition, the school’s labyrinthine courtyard is also reminiscent of the way the patios connect the various rooms of this home to one another. Although, in contradiction, the home has two egress points that pass entirely through the depth of the home - one directly through the enclosed volume of the owner’s space, and one that aligns with the pool in the central courtyard. This direct connection through the home is common to a variety of Aires Mateus projects. It helps to blur the boundary between exterior and interior, alluding to the a continual gradient of space which Manuel speaks of often.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | BRICK HOUSE IN MELIDES

House in Melides main courtyard, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | BRICK HOUSE IN MELIDES

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House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | BRICK HOUSE IN MELIDES

House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus, Image Credit: João Guimarães

The interior of House in Melides also takes advantage of harmonious views with the local site - windows are placed to create sight-lines to the various courtyard spaces. While there are none looking into the perimeter ring of outdoor spaces, nor beyond this outermost wall, doors and windows wrap the extends of the centrally located courtyard the pool is in. Amidst this continual ring of patios, the segmented spaces cast some of the most exquisite shadows and set the rich blue sky against the warm red brick - it was a sight I will never forget.

The home is also part of a larger complex that encompasses five other properties: a home for the owner’s nanny and her family, as well as four smaller income properties on a nearby mountain (and yes, I mean mountain). Manuel was able to convince the client to use concrete for these homes, which allowed for some unique forms. The owner was able accept that the material wouldn’t be used on his own home, and thus the other projects take on an entirely different set of qualities.

The nanny’s home features two large curved walls linked by a central courtyard. The nearby income properties are generally rectangular in plan with pitched roofs and private courtyards that appear from an extension of interior walls.

After a nice 15 minute drive down a series of long and winding dirt roads, we came to the set of four income properties. They sit on one site joined by what will become a shared boomerang shaped pool. The formal qualities of the homes create private sight-line between the smaller residences. The homes overlook the valley below that separates them from the owner’s home hidden amidst trees and camouflaged with the red dirt. While the concrete properties are significantly smaller, they are meant to encourage the inhabitants to connect more closely to the environment in which they are set.

When looking at the five concrete homes you see one common feature: a pitched roof typology. This motif emerges throughout the two other homes I saw while in Portugal, as well as dozens of other projects Manuel and Francisco have designed. When I asked Manuel what the role this repetition of form plays in his work, he responded by explaining that it serves as a means to connect with his client - to display familiarity. What I find most fascinating about these four income properties is how Manuel experiments, and even plays with the repeated motif by breaking corners and morphing flat and curved surfaces. These operations act to unite the properties to one another through form, but also helps to define clear boundaries of privacy as they sit close together on a shared site.

It is sometimes hard to remember, but these beautiful homes can only stand because pure creativity met quality craftsmanship. It was a real treat seeing the six homes with the design team and the contractor because you can truly see how each appreciates the other. True design is compassionate to all parties involved, and can insight beauty to those who stumble upon it. What was even more impressive was that the contractor is greatly moved by his ability to work on such projects - he recognizes how special they are. It’s impressive to see contractors and architects working together on such challenging projects, especially something so custom, because it shows you the impact architecture can have on those who may not see it after it is built. The project will live on in their memory, as it will in mine.

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN MELIDES

Interior of House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

Home for family of nanny at House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

Guest-house at House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

Guest-house detail at House in Melides, 2009-Present, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN AZEITÃO

House in Azeitão backyard, 2003, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN AZEITÃO

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If I could put words to what it meant to be inside House in Azeitão, you would need a role of parchment to read all the thoughts and emotions spinning in my head. Instead, we will have to settle for a few simple pages. When you drive up to House in Azeitão you are greeted by a gate with only the pitched roof peaking up over it. Once the tall, gray, mechanical gate was opened we were greeted by a small courtyard where the home sits at its center. The lot feels constrained in width, but endless in length. You can catch glimmers of light through the windows that align with those along the back facade to match. It is a modest looking structure, but you would not believe what lies beyond the refurbished winery-turned home’s large front doors.

While I knew what I was stepping into from studying the project in an El Croquis, my father did not, and his reaction sums up how I felt the first time I laid eyes on the project. When you walk into the main, one room space you immediately notice the bright white boxes floating overhead. It is hard to miss how they gracefully sit just out of reach, almost like upside-down stepping stones as each falls at a slightly different height than the one next to it. You wouldn’t know until you find the entrance to the stairs on either side of the home hidden behind the wall supporting the boxes - that the volumes above your head are private bedrooms, bathrooms, office spaces, and intimate sitting rooms. The intention was for each to be adjustable if the need arose from the owner, but they are also only supplied light through their front glass face off the stair which helps to preserve the intimacy of the spaces.

Above the boxes, the ceiling of the pitched roof room continues to rise in front of you until it reaches its peak where wooden rafters sit exposed against a rich wood interior cladding. It helps call to memory the feel of the winery that once existed on the site. With the glow of the light from the circular skylight above, the space feels limitless, even touched by heaven as it reflects warm sunlight off the white volumes. The stairways possess windows that also bring light in and diffuse it into the space. In the warmer months the front and rear doors can open entirely to allow a breeze to pass directly through the home. This further relates back to the transparency and connection between “interior and exterior” spaces Manuel speaks of continually.

The most important lesson this home taught me came from Cassandra when she explained: “Each project requires Manuel and his brother to search for the answer to a problem that emerges. It is through discussion and iteration that he and Francisco find it - it is a dialogue.” The answer to the winery was to inject a wide open space with intimate volumes above, while preserving the existing ruins of the winery left behind to create a deeper meaning and purpose for the home.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN AZEITÃO

Second Floor Plan

Cross Section

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House in Alcobaรงa front facade, 2011, Aires Mateus

House in Alcobaรงa roof terrace access and parking pad, 2011, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN ALCOBAร A

House in Alcobaรงa backyard, 2011, Aires Mateus

House in Alcobaรงa interior stair and entrance, 2011, Aires Mateus

House in Alcobaรงa view from third floor sitting room, 2011, Aires Mateus

House in Alcobaรงa roof terrace, 2011, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN ALCOBAร A

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Second Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Longitudinal Section

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN ALCOBAÇA

When you first arrive to the House in Alcobaça, you notice it is set off the street - which leads one to the public library on the other side of the river by way of a small bridge - and appears to rise before you, unassumingly. A ruin that once sat on the site drew the homeowner to the property along the river’s edge . It projects the very memory of the missing ruin onto the facade in a way that allows you to feel its presence and absence all at the same time. To me, this is quite special because it allows you to feel both the new and old in the same instant. In order to display the memory of the ruin that once sat on the site, they took the original location of apertures and reused them as markings on the facade. It not only acknowledges the memory, but creates a discussion with the history of the site.

Aside from the main volume that guests discover upon entry, there are two fences that expand around the property to conceal both the yard and a private parking pad set on the roof of a lower portion of the home. If you study the plan, you notice two quite different volumes - a tall public volume that houses the main entrance, a study, public bathroom, and living space, while the second, more intimate volume is closer to the ground and possesses a myriad of different spatial qualities. The space in this part of the home is below the parking pad, and it uses large cut out volumes to bring indirect sunlight into the rooms. The two volumes are merged through a dining space and kitchen that act as a progressive buffer between the private and public rooms.

The home truly takes on multiple personalities. Depending on the angle you are seeing it, the home takes on a box-like appearance, whereas from its side, you might assume it to be a “typical pitched-roof” house. The most impressive instance of this is when you stare at the low-height private volume from the ground versus when you walk up onto its surface and begin to register the oblique cactus-like shape. The way Aires Mateus bends light and space to create this unique merging of volumes leads for a blurring where one room ends and another begins, or even where the exterior and interior fuse together.

Continually, I am intrigued by the way Manuel and Francisco “play” and bend form and light to develop spaces that merge private and public so seamlessly.

They manage to find a careful balance between the threshold of servant and served space, while also finding a magnificent way to use light to convey the subtle distinction.

Louis Kahn once said, “The sun never knew how great it was until it hit the side of a building.” I think it rings a little differently in the case of Aires Mateus’s work. “The sun never knew how powerful it was until it entered the aperture of a building”. By this I mean that through the small openings they puncture in the facade or ceiling, the space is completely transformed; and would not appear the same otherwise. It is with the House in Alcobaça that I can say I understand the significance of how the different types of spaces are designed, presented, and occupied; but more importantly, I can fully comprehend how those spaces are treated through their use of light and how they depict the home in drawing. It is a project understood in both plan and section so harmoniously. The evolution of space can be traced so clearly that the project begins to come alive on the paper, but it is seeing it in person that makes you feel the presence of the site. The way the light interacts with the various volumes is what you need to see in person, but it is through understanding the drawings that you can notice the nuances of how the space actually operates.

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | HOUSE IN ALCOBAÇA

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LIGHT CANNONS | SUN MEETING SPACE

The title of this section is a personal anecdote dating back to my third semester studio project, but I felt nothing was more fitting for the projects I am about to speak of.

The Rectorate at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa stands prominently in a clearing on its campus, as if to beg you to approach, but still with some apprehension. You initially move towards it by curiosity as no other structure on the campus is in the same style or tectonic language. It feels private from the exterior with the primary material used being an opaque limestone, yet the windows cover many faces along the façade. Its somewhat of an oxymoron, but that’s what made it exciting to get to walk around it and begin to dissect the plan. The plaza - built into the right side of the building by way of a grand staircase scaling a small hill - is made of the same bright and beautiful stone as the rest of the exterior, but it completely conceals the main floor spaces below it.

Underneath the large mountain of steps is a significantly sized auditorium, public halls, banquet or reception spaces, a place for staff to eat while on break, a small kitchen, and access to the primary public stair that terminates at the second of six floors, with a light shaft that continues – for what feels like infinitely – above.

I find it is in the vertical circulation that the space divulges its clarity; each ramp, stair, or access point to an elevator reveals its opening with the coveted limestone trim common not only to Aires Mateus work (as it frequently appears on the façade of many projects we discussed), but to Portugal. I stumbled upon this common feature when I made my way upstairs to the long, dark corridors which transgress the depth of the tower in order to distribute people to their offices. The logic of the space is quite simple – a long, single-loaded corridor with doors along the inner wall. The other face – closer to the exterior – is reserved for egress with both open stairs, encased fire stairs, and public elevators that sit within the frame of the windows that cap either end of the bar-shaped tower. All along this wall are frames and openings at equal height to those of the doors to the offices, but unlike the office doors, these frames are of limestone.

Per all Aires Mateus projects, there is a clear sensibility of light and transparency. Not only is the main public stair part of an extensive light well, but the main floor entrance is through a small opening in a large pane of glass. The facade of the bar tower is such an enticing object. It can be seen from a great distance, and it is capable of delivering a large amount of light to the interior. It truly welcomes the idea of a “light cannon” into the discussion surrounding the design of the Rectorate.

Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Rectorate, Lisbon, 2002, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE RECTORATE AT UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | THE RECTORATE AT UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA

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My time in Grândola was brief, but it allowed me to see a building that truly lives in section. At first glance the Grândola Meeting Center appears to be a simple white box with each corner receiving a unique “carved-out” form. For me, the meeting center is all about absence - the experience resulting from what is removed or missing.

This idea takes shape immediately from the exterior, but as soon as you enter the one room space you begin to realize that the same occurs above your head. I have never witnessed a ceiling that plays with the sectional qualities of a space and light as it does here.

The interesting thing about this building is that it sits very quietly along a simple street with an elderly residence off to the side. It does not call attention to itself with grandiose facades or big tall windows. Instead, its only features come at its corners and in many ways they do not act overly inviting, but can offer unique shadows for photoops (as I have seen many on Instagram). I think this roots back to what I mentioned briefly in the beginning of this book. The buildings are much like the people - The Grândola Meeting center is much like Manuel in its clear and concise demeanor, but it is also quiet and simple, much like the local elderly residents that utilize its space. By this I mean that the meeting center is not meant to generate a reaction from its exterior, but more so from its striking interior.

I think what is important about this project is the sectional properties it conveys.

As Manuel explains, he uses repeated motifs and begins to reorganize and play with them in order to develop new configurations that relate to the local context. At many of the corners there are profiles that appear to register an elongated peak, and when we take a sectional profile the same pattern emerges on the interior of the building.

In some cases, it becomes hard to decipher where the interior begins and the exterior ends. I think this is quite beautiful because it employs the section in telling a story about the project. It is not only a tool for uncovering spatial qualities, but it is instrumental in understanding the narrative of the building. More over, the two images depicting the concrete model - I would presume they sat on Manuel’s desk for months as the design was tweaked and refined - help to elaborate on the pure spatial relationships between the exterior cubic form and the internal “cannons” that shoot up through the ceiling, with some funneling light into the room.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | GRÂNDOLA MEETING CENTER

Grândola Meeting Center, 2016, Aires Mateus

Grândola Meeting Center, 2016, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | GRÂNDOLA MEETING CENTER

Grândola Meeting Center corner detail, 2016, Aires Mateus

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Longitudinal Section 1

Longitudinal Section 2

Longitudinal Section 3

Model Study 1 - Credit: Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | GRÂNDOLA MEETING CENTER

Model Study 2 - Credit: Aires Mateus

Grândola Meeting Center ceiling detail, 2016, Aires Mateus

Grândola Meeting Center ceiling detail, 2016, Aires Mateus

Grândola Meeting Center ceiling detail, 2016, Aires Mateus

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I didn’t visit many sites designed by Eduardo Souto de Moura’s, but nonetheless I knew I had to stop at the Paula Rego Museum in Cascais. Unlike the other work I have spoken about, it reveals a textured cast-in-place concrete facade that has been colored a brilliant red. Set against the rich blue sky, the pyramidlike building sits quite prominently amongst a small garden along a quiet street near the water. Amidst tall trees that pierce the ground at grotesque angles, and a lush lawn, this red giant stands out - not like the vernacular architecture I have spoken of so fondly.

Don’t get too alarmed, because if there is one thing we have discussed it is how cautious the Portuguese architects are of the context for which they design. It’s important to note this is a museum dedicated to Paula Rego’s work, and for those unfamiliar with it, it is an explosion of expressionism and color. While I am not a huge fan of her artwork, I am a fan of the building because it is such an act of confidence and certainty. It reminded me of my visit to the Serralves Museum in Porto (which I will discuss later) because it generates unexpected windows and bends in the exterior profile through the employment of various geometries.

It shows skill in juggling the volume between the “programmed space” that not only elevates the building, but activates it. The exterior was as occupied as the interior; and I find this to be a significant memory of how I perceived this project.

Now the most curious aspect was that I knew the two “pyramids” would possess windows at their peaks, not because I looked online, but because I had a hunch. And there I was, entering the lobby waiting to find the light cannons streaming down over me, but no. Then as my father and I walked through the main galleries, each turn around a corner led me to look up with curiosity, but again nothing matched my vision. What I struggled with was that I knew I would be able to tell when I was inside a pyramid, but I had not even so much as passed through one, at this point. After transversing the entire exterior property and moving back through the whole museum, we came to a cafeteria space off an exterior patio and there it was - a square shaped window many feet in the air with an ever narrowing set of four walls. But this was only the first, and I knew there would be another. Sure enough I discovered it was the gift shop near the entrance. Little did I know I passed the two features I sought out the most upon entering the museum. So in a small way, I look back on this little memory and story as being a connection back to the modest Portuguese culture, where some of the most exciting spaces are hidden, only to be sought out with intention.

I do not suspect this to be de Moura’s vision, but it is a bit of joy I take with me from such an unforgettable trip.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | PAULA REGO MUSEUM

Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, Cascais, 2008, Eduardo Souto de Moura

Casa das Histรณrias Paula Rego, Cascais, 2008, Eduardo Souto de Moura

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | PAULA REGO MUSEUM

Casa das Histรณrias Paula Rego gallery, Cascais, 2008, Eduardo Souto de Moura

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PURITY OF FORM | THE WHITE ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE

“There are only three main features that define Lisbon: Siza’s Portugal Pavilion, the neighborhood of Baxia, and the Jerónimos Monastery”. These are the words Manuel said to me when speaking about Lisbon and my visit. I was pleased to tell him I visited all of these marvelous spaces, but one of the first sights I saw while in Lisbon was Álvaro Siza’s Portugal Pavilion designed for the 1998 Expo held in the once prominent harbor at the mouth of the Tagus River. The theme of the Expo, “The Oceans: A Heritage for the Future,” commemorated the heritage of Portuguese discovery; and it can be felt through the expanse of the newly developed site. Each building that sits on the massive stretch of waterfront possesses a different quality of space and grandeur.

I remember stepping out of the metro at Oriente Station and thinking over the words Rensselaer Professor Carla Leitao bestowed upon me before my trip: “This area is so large, you will not be able to fathom the scale of the space.” The area displays a scale of architecture I have never witnessed in my life. She expressed how the presence of the old harbor could be felt with ebbs and flows of public space. She went on to explain that the harbor was once sporadically interrupted by public space, but now we see the reverse - public regions are met with intermittent folds of the old harbor.

Specifically regarding the pavilion, I was limited to it’s exterior, and only for a short while. But I was most impressed with the impact such a simple form can have. Photos do not do it justice, and I found that sketches do not truly capture its movement. It feels like a sideways sail on a ship coming into harbor - the scale feels proportional to the context along the water’s edge. It acts like a beacon, or a recognizable landmark.

Students on a field trip took refuge from the rain under its wide sweeping expanse, playing games and running around the flat plaza.

As a public space, the pavilion has the ability to adapt to serve any purpose. It is so clearly designed that its flexibility is tangible. Possibly this is what Manuel meant by convent’s being so clear and logical, but I think it is beyond that. The ‘98 Expo really exposed Portugal, and specifically this portion of the city to the world. Siza needed to design a pavilion that would register this significance - it would not only measure in scale, but in adaptability through time. At it’s heart, the pavilion is a pure and direct act of architecture - a challenge only few great architects can master.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | PORTUGAL PAVILION

Pavilhão de Portugal, Lisbon, 1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Pavilhão de Portugal, Lisbon, 1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | PORTUGAL PAVILION

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Among my favorite buildings is the Serravles Museum and Villa complex.

It is an exceptional property tucked into a quiet and reserved neighborhood in western Porto. Designed by Siza throughout the 1990s, the complex houses a robust contemporary art collection that is featured throughout the newer building, as well as dispersed through the various gardens on the site. The complex features a vast expanse of gardens, a tea house looking over a large clearing and lush greenery, a grotto, ponds, and small lakes, and even a space for farm animals, as well as the original villa. Even after researching the site and Siza’s project, it did not prepare me for the wide variety of spaces and structures I found when I finally had the opportunity to visit it for myself. True to Manuel’s point, it is a different experience to visit a place to see all its nuances up close, to see the spaces and how they relate to one another, as well as to perceive the qualities of light.

I will never forget the way light poured into the various galleries and the main entrance hall. These same qualities were found in the entry courtyard. For me, this was quite exceptional. It was an unbelievable sight to see the intense shadows both inside and outside as though the exterior is no different than an interior space. The galleries were large, wide and comfortable spaces - they put the artwork in a great viewing position, and I always felt that the architecture was meant to enhance the art rather than overshadow it. Nonetheless, my focus was always on the space and how it was able to showcase the artwork inside.

When I think back, I can recall how desperately I wanted a photo capturing the full essence of the building, but it became clear how impossible this would be.

It is not because the building does not feel complete, or that it is designed poorly, rather it is the opposite. I find that the building nestles into the context so beautifully that no matter how hard you try, you can only capture a glimpse of its expanse - it lies somewhere between a hidden state and something profoundly immortal. I do not mean immortal in a sense of longevity - although it is a structure I see transcending its time - but rather as an untouchable greatness. Each facade, each elevation, and each corner unveils new features, niches, and pockets of space, but you can never collective piece it together in one image. I truly believe great architecture must be witnessed to be understood, and beyond that it is still difficult to perceive its entirety. The Serralves Foundation Museum was truly an experience unparalleled by any other because of how well it was designed.

The artwork was as much as of a treat as the galleries, becaused it engaged with the visitors and the space. Each hallway encouraged my father and I to press further into the depths of the museum, and with each turn we found new “hidden” skylights and full length windows that make the spaces around us glow with a warm morning sunlight. Siza is a genius known to many; and my brief encounters with his work not only confirm this, but were a real treat. The way he works with surfaces and the joints they terminate at, make you appreciate details in the way that Italy’s Carlo Scarpa worked. You do not only focus on the larger volume you are standing in, but rather each edge and material within - this is the depths great architecture can pursue.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SERRALVES MUSEUM

Fundação de Serralves entrance, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Fundação de Serralves entrance, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Fundação de Serralves, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Fundação de Serralves entrance courtyard, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Fundação de Serralves entrance gallery, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SERRALVES MUSEUM

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Fundação de Serralves gallery, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SERRALVES MUSEUM

Fundação de Serralves gallery, Porto, 1991-1998, Álvaro Siza Vieira

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SERRALVES MUSEUM

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SERRALVES MUSEUM

Fundação de Serralves Villa, Porto, 1930’s, Charles Siclis, + José Marques da Silva

Fundação de Serralves Villa, Porto, 1930’s, Charles Siclis, + José Marques da Silva

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SERRALVES MUSEUM

Fundação de Serralves lake and grotto, Porto, 1930’s

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At the top of a very tall hill in a town well off the beaten path (or rather train track) lies one of the most spectacular churches I have ever laid witness to. I can say the extravagant churches of Italy: St. Peter’s, The Duomo of Florence, Il Gesu, and Sant’Ignazio di Loyola (to name a few) were impressive, but it is also impressive to design more with less, and I firmly believe this is what happens at Siza’s Church of Santa Maria in Marco de Canaveses. I have a hard time thinking of many projects that are so profound that you feel God’s presence immediately after you enter.

It’s quite remarkable (and I find this to be quite common with all of Siza’s projects) to approach a building and to not only search each corner as you move around it in order to grasp its overall form, but to also find that each turn you make brings you to an entirely new space. Each time I enter a new space it brings a flood of these emotions all over again.

Religious architecture constantly intrigues me - some are beautiful in their excess, but Church of Santa Maria in Marco de Canaveses is exuberant in its minimalism. It is truly the light that enters the space that makes it appear to be a church of gold. The seats are not grand pews, the altar is not draped in tapestries or ornaments, and the materials are quite plain and sterile. In many ways, the space acts very utilitarian. It is a church for the common man with its simplicity. I think this is a unique take on a religious space, but I also find it to be very relevant for the town of Marco de Canaveses; the architecture meets the needs of the municipality, and even reflects its presence - a common theme throughout Portugal as by now I am sure you are aware.

What is truly spectacular in this building is that you explode from the side entrance into a chapel draped in light glowing brilliantly, courtesy of four primary windows and two other side rooms with apertures. “Bring the light in high.” Those were the words of a guest lecturer in my ecological systems class during my second year of school. Siza knew this - the three windows at the top of the left chapel wall grows in depth to capture the light and diffuse it into the space. The long ribbon window on the opposing wall runs the entire chapel’s extents which brings light in at the height of a prayer’s eye. Together these windows make one feel close to God whether they stay for an entire service, or are a Jewish-American architecture student visiting in order to sketch the plan and section because you fell in love with Portuguese architecture, but more importantly Siza’s.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN MARCO DE CANAVESES

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN MARCO DE CANAVESES

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It’s about the small intimate spaces that make you feel closer to God, and to prayer. I am not intensely religious, nor am I Christian, but when the caretaker of the church invited me to visit the lower chapel I felt as though I momentarily reached enlightenment. Suddenly, I understood the sole window on the front facade that produced the light streaming down into the chapel. The main congregation space above shared in this dance of light as it reached the lower room through two cutouts in the wall I imagined to be glass, but rather are empty air drawing light from above. The courtyard that sinks well beneath the main level of the church possessed a small stream of water that added to tranquility of the white washed concrete and plaster. It can be accessed from the chapel below, or from a series of steps that move beneath the datum of the plinth the church sits upon.

In the absence of excess, I felt as though I gained a sense of completeness. It is a strange feeling and I find it very hard to express without sounding child-like. That is the power of Siza’s work. It’s amazing how many people spoke so highly of someone they may never have known - as my father and I recounted events and our experiences to waiters/waitresses, people we met on the street, or vendors selling goods. He is more than an icon of Portuguese architecture, he is, in many respects, a god.

Maybe my level of wonder is too great, or my praise too high, but he contributed so significantly to the foundation of Portugal’s architecture, not only in Matosinhos and Porto, but all over the country. The way he manipulates space appears as though nobody was present at all - his trace is left in the experience others have while visiting his projects. He does not intrude with his architecture as some might say of a more aggressive architect. He is like the silent shadow in the corner waiting and watching, but never getting too close as to obstruct your view. Siza is someone I feel I cannot say I know, but I can say I understand. He is felt in his work, he is humble, and he is true to the sense of place that is so relevant in architecture today.

Cross Section - Hand-drawn

Plan - Hand-drawn

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN MARCO DE CANAVESES

Igreja Santa Maria baptistery, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Igreja Santa Maria clerestory windows, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Portion of rocks at the Tidal pools of Leça de Palmeira, Matosinhos, 1961-1995, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Igreja Santa Maria side entrance, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN MARCO DE CANAVESES

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Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN MARCO DE CANAVESES

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Igreja Santa Maria, Marco de Canaveses, 1990-1996, Álvaro Siza Vieira

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA IN MARCO DE CANAVESES

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PUBLIC SPACE | THE URBAN GATEWAY

I’m sure this project looks familiar, but I can assure you there is more to share.

Previously, I spoke about the Sines Center for the Arts in term of Aires Mateus’s drawing sensibility, but there are many more layers to unpack. I love how the building connects to the surrounding urban fabric. Along its primary facade, it sits prominently, while its back face merges with the crooked streets and jagged edges of the cobblestones to find a natural connection with the buildings near it. Sines is an old sea town so it was imperative Manuel and Francisco fold the building into this context.

I watched an interview where Manuel spoke about the idea behind the project. He explained that, “The Sines Center really acts as a gateway to the water.

It sits at the end of the winding road that brings you into the historic town of Sines that leads you straight to the castle along the coastline. The building begins to take on this new persona in a way, where it feels like a contemporary castle in a historic city.

With the use of the same stone, but in a different finish, and small windows along the front facade that recall those of look-out towers, the building takes on these notable qualities within a modern era.”

I thought Manuel described the project so well. When I visited the building I knew to expect this castle-like structure as I moved forward in an attempt to pass to the water. While it is not guarded, and obviously it is not a true gate, it takes on this role of “protecting the historic city” in a theoretical sense through its siting. I even find that it reminds me of a teleportation device because as you move onto the limestone walkway and pass through the narrow street you begin to realize how seamless the building is with the ground plane. It is not until you step off the stone and meet the original cobblestone street that you feel as though you were in a tunnel and have now passed into a different time and place altogether. As you move beyond the public street you feel transported, and it transitions so simply - so as not to over complicate the experience - that you feel the sensation of moving through a car wash and you become cleansed.

From the front face of the building it is clearly foreign - it does not necessarily belong, but at the same time, it does not ignore its context. From the opposite side of the building - where the cobblestone streets meet the building and there is no plaza to greet visitors - it appears that the building folds away. It seems darker, and less present in how one visualizes the city. The building uses this duality as you transverse its depths to convey its connection to the city that surrounds it.

I find this project to be one of their most significant in my education because it seems to have set a precedent for the idea of “moving through space”. All the projects that follow are variations of passing through a public square, courtyard, or passageway with a destination to arrive at. In this case it is the historic town and waterfront of Sines, but in other cases it too is water. I think it is a remarkable idea to create a link that is so direct and obvious. I can think of many architects that say their goal is to achieve a link to another site or location through their work, and students frequently tackle this challenge as well. In the work of Aires Mateus the connection is so clear, unclouded by unnecessary detail, that it is impossible to miss because you directly engage it.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SINES CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Sines Center for the Arts exterior street, Sines, 2005, Aires Mateus

Sines Center for the Arts exterior street at night, Sines, 2005, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SINES CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Sines Center for the Arts street facade, Sines, 2005, Aires Mateus

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Waterfront Elevation

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | EDP HEADQUARTERS

“It’s to the right. It’s just a little farther”. This was what I said to my father as we carefully walked down the steep streets of Lisbon on a rainy Wednesday after we arrived in Portugal.

The EDP Headquarters was the first major architectural work I was able to see, and I had already caught a glimpse of it from a nearby hill. The construction sight at the top of the hillside overlooking the water didn’t make for a glamorous view, but it confirmed what I was most excited about - the building’s connection to the water.

Even from the hills, way up over the tops of the tallest buildings along the water’s edge, the EDP building is the only one that acts to bridge between the sight lines and what lies beyond it. Our way to the Potuguese electric company headquarters featured meandering down slippery streets from the rain, hoping not to fall, but it was my excitement that encouraged me to press on. As we came to a large avenue that made its path along a flattened stretch I looked off to the right and saw what I knew to be the familiar ribbed facade.

Even in the overcast, rainy sky the white building stood out along the street with the blue-tinted glass peaking out behind the facade system. My dad and I were fascinated by the way the building sat along the street with its courtyard entrance peeling away from the ground to let you in. From either end you stare at a solid wall, but when you move parallel to the water and arrive at the end of one of the larger bar towers you find a brilliantly white courtyard gleaming in front of you, and you realize that it permits you access to the water on the other side.

It’s scale is noticeable, but not overbearing. It finds its presence by casting shadows with the panel system moving overhead to connect the two towers - I remember thinking the building is almost waking up and pulling the sheets off itself when looking at the corners that move gradually into the air. It feels private yet open all at the same time. Even in his larger scale projects, Manuel strikes a balance with intimacy and public space.

Like the previous project this building acts as a gateway to the water to connect Lisbon’s hills to the Tagus River. As headquarters for the electric company in Portugal, it sets a precedent for how to carry an energy within space into the future. As the facade glows at night, and the courtyard gleams by day, the EDP Headquarters is a building rooted in activation of public space.

EDP Headquarters from nearby hill, Lisbon, 2015, Aires Mateus

EDP Headquarters courtyard, Lisbon, 2015, Aires Mateus

EDP Headquarters waterfront facade, Lisbon, 2015, Aires Mateus Image Credit: Juan Rodriguez

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | EDP HEADQUARTERS

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE |

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The Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum was one of the most anticipated projects of the entire trip for me. It came at the tail end of the adventure on a hot and sunny day along the coast in the beautiful shore town of Cascais. The museum’s courtyard entrance sits tucked behind the Casa de Santa Marta, and as you reach the white plaster half-wall that defines it’s boundary, you pass into a space completely unique from its surroundings.

The scale of public space is beautifully overwhelming because there is a sense of surprise when they’re significantly different than expectation. It was the shadows cast by the main wall along the entrance - how each was unique to the bends and angles of it’s surface that caught my attention. I had never seen anything quite like it.

The way the sunlight bounced off the crisp white tiles - as you find your way to the main museum space and smaller patio that guides you to the entrance of the lighthouse created a shimmer across the courtyard’s entirety.

You would never expect such crisply white buildings to be so dark inside.

With a rich contrast between black and white, your eyes slowly adjust and process that you are no longer outside, but instead in the small and intimate museum exhibit.

Protected by the hard exterior of the tiles, the square space with pitched roof projects an entirely different understanding of space. Compression and expansion guides you through the dark interior. As you pass from one building to the next - in search of the lighthouse’s base - you find the rooms shrinking, telling you that you are almost to your final destination. As you round the last building’s corner, you find a wall with stone steps along it bringing you to the final lookout.

As I climbed up the squared spiral steps of the lighthouse, I felt a sense of joy and excitement wash over me. I was scaling it’s stairs with a sense of growing anticipation of what I would find at it’s peak. I’ve read Locke’s essay on human understanding, and find it’s discussion relevant in the work of Aires Mateus - experience is the only way to perceive our world and its architecture in a true sense. Over and over, I write to tell you how exquisite these projects are, that I am truly left dumbfounded by their wonders, but this is the power of great architecture.

If it is impossible to grasp the entire expanse of the Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum, it is not because it is so vast, or that it is so buried into the landscape as the Serralves Museum, but because it is so different from every angle that you cannot comprehend all of it’s volumes within one act. By climbing to the top of the lighthouse I was able to grasp how the project meets the sea with a progressive infusion. It occupies a unique site, where the water turns from teal to turquoise to green - it’s quite magical, as the land jets out towards the sea. The museum and courtyard weave in and out along the coastline to find its natural composition beside the water. It was always hard for me to understand the way the building occupied its site until I was able to see it from above, which shed some light on its inventive character and occupation of space.

Once you are able to grasp the extents of the building, you can follow the way each volume of space merges with the one that precedes and succeeds it. There are moments you glance into another space, but may not yet know how to reach it. It is the lighthouse - the purpose for the project in the first place - that brings clarity and light to every design move Manuel and Francisco make. What once guided the sailors home from sea, now teaches visitors the meaning of unique and playful spaces - clarity coming full circle once again.

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum entrance, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum courtyard, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum lighthouse, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SANTA MARTA LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum alcove, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SANTA MARTA LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM

Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum views to water, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

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Aerial view of Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum, Cascais, 2007, Aires Mateus

View of Cascais from Santa Marta Lighthouse, Cascais

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SANTA MARTA LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM

Plan

Longitudinal Section

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | SANTA MARTA LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM

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I have spoken at great length about how wonderful my experience was, but I think it would be unfair to paint such a perfect picture. I have yet to come across a project that I have witnessed or studied by Aires Mateus that I did not appreciate or find beautiful, and fascinating. But there are cases where the photos that lived in my head are at times more spectacular than my initial impression. One of these cases comes with the Mar do Oriente Office Building along the northeastern coast of Lisbon, just south of the Vasco de Gama Bridge. In the lower images you see a masterful paneling system - either composed of a layer of glass with another behind it, or a solid metal panel. Creating a unique series of reflections, the photos excited me for what I was potentially going to see.

I did not realize until I inspected them further after I visited that the professional photos I was looking at were taken from pathways on the upper level that are part of a water network raised over the courtyard and public shops below. When I arrived to the building I realized the panel system was designed to encompass advertising, and that it was less than elegant in appearance. Clever in practice, I found that it defeated the beautiful patterning and ethereal effects the glass panels created with lettering and graphics pasted to its surface.

Although it wasn’t all bad, I appreciated how I could pass from the busy and crowded streets lined with hotels and high rises into the calm courtyard that removed all the hustle and bustle from view; and if I desired, I could continue onward through another courtyard entrance to the other side of the building and find myself along the harbor’s edge looking at the site of the 1998 Expo. It’s remarkable how frequently Aires Mateus is able to create a connection between two apparent worlds through one general space for the public. It’s a beautiful experience to be in a place removed from the “outside”. I think that is the beauty of this project. For the short time I sketched the facade system, and photographed the various volumes while my dad sipped on a soda in a courtyard cafe, I began to realize that it is okay to receive a project differently in photograph.

I was given a tour (which I will explain later) by a young architect in Matosinhos who spoke somewhat negatively of most of Portugal’s vernacular architecture. I might‘ve caught him in a bad moment, but this is not important. I wish I had shared my defense of the work I came to study, but I can share it with whomever deems this book worthy of their time. A photo is a means to draw excitement for the work. I know all too well it did so for me. And yes, it looked pristine, perfect even; not a line out of place. But reality isn’t so. It is not doctored, nor is a site or building scouted for hours to find the perfect light or optimal viewing angle. A photographer is an artist, as are the architects. They sculpt a frame, and the architect sculpts a space and its frame.

A space is dynamic, used, and present in people’s lives. It is okay to think a photo is more attractive than the real thing, but we cannot forget that the “perfect” photo does not exist without the imperfect building sitting patiently behind the lens. I did not necessarily wish to end this particular section with this project, but I think that the lessons I learned through visiting it are incredibly relevant. As a student, I photograph my work for documentation frequently. It is important to never lose sight of the way a project is perceived, both by myself as the designer, and by the external viewer. Not every image has to be perfect, but it must display something meaningful.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | MAR DO ORIENTE

Mar do Oriente Office Building, Lisbon, 2008, Aires Mateus Image Credit: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Mar do Oriente Office Building waterfront facade, Lisbon, 2008, Aires Mateus

Mar do Oriente Office Building courtyard, Lisbon, 2008, Aires Mateus

Mar do Oriente Office Building, Lisbon, 2008, Aires Mateus Image Credit: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | MAR DO ORIENTE

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THE PORTUGUESE | A PEOPLE EMBODIED BY THEIR SPACES

I am closing this journey with a real treat. Now I’m not overstating this when I say this first project was a pure goldmine and I literally stumbled upon it. I did not expect to go to the Casa da Arquitectura and find that the place wasn’t actually designed by Siza even though his name is everywhere on their website. For an English speaking architecture student I was slightly disappointed, but what the hot and exhausting journey to the House of Architecture in Matosinhos, the town Siza grew up in, led me to was much more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

The story starts with a small home on an unassuming block a few paces away from the ocean. I tried using my phone to locate the Casa da Arquitectura, but my father and I kept finding ourselves on a normal residential block with the building we were searching for nowhere in sight. After we asked a handful of people, we finally found the entrance after eating lunch and meeting the man I mentioned in the very beginning of this book - yes, the one who grew up next-door to Siza as a boy. When we went inside and visited the one exhibit on Brazilian architecture, we met a man who worked at the museum and was giving a tour to a photographer from India that wished to see Siza’s projects in the area. She was capturing different conditions of light and his work was fascinating to her.

We asked if we could tag along, and after some persuasion I was able to gain access to Siza’s childhood home - Casa de Roberto Ivens - which he renovated for his parents in 1961. The House of Architecture would later come to manage the property and provide small tours upon appointment to those interested in the master of built space, and his roots. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to tour here, but, at this point in the story we have not arrived to the site. As we stroll down the streets and head closer to the water, I began to realize how familiar the area looked. When the guide finally tells us we made it I realize we were on the exact street we once asked three different people for directions, the exact street my dad and I were told through Google maps was the location of the Casa da Arquitectura. It was remarkable how the day played out, but nonetheless, the opportunity to see the home and laugh about the way we missed it entirely the first time we passed it was truly unforgettable.

We entered through the main door and passed quickly down a set of stairs to a dark exhibition room that had access to the backyard. We then passed back into the house and moved upstairs to the main living level, and ultimately to the private quarters that also featured an office for Siza’s father and bedrooms. What most amazed me was the woodwork and the simplicity of the space. It was not “sterile” in the sense that most of Siza’s work lacks color, this project had large pops of green paint on the trim and various wood details. The fascinating part was how modest the home was - how it did not over-assert itself - which is why my father and I missed it the first time we passed it. The home is beautiful, well designed (from the renovation standpoint), and yet at the same time it is modest. It teaches you exactly how the Portuguese live, even still today.

It is a beautiful lesson of where Siza comes from and how he can design for all types of problems, even something as simple as a backyard shed when he was fifteen.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SPATIAL POCHE | CASA DE ROBERTO IVENS

Casa da Arquitectura Courtyard, Matosinhos

Casa da Arquitectura, Matosinhos

Casa de Roberto Ivens front facade balconies, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Casa de Roberto Ivens backyard shed, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Casa de Roberto Ivens backyard, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

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This project was not intended to be a million dollar masterpiece. It was meant to exude the qualities found in a typical Portuguese home. The rooms were small and modest, no larger than a home of 2000 square feet. The living space was really found in the exterior, with the windows highlighting this.

The updated features of the home were found in small details meant to make the space more comfortable, but that many Americans may often take for granted. These features can be found in the paint, woodwork, room layouts, lighting features, and bathrooms, but without a guide might not come across as obvious.

There was something so calming about the interior. It looked to Dutch influences for its minimalist approach and use of wood tones throughout. You enter the home, and feel as though the people in it are not overly flamboyant. The facade is a slightly different story, as it possesses beautiful and colorful tilework. But this is not unlike the other homes on the block, so it only stands out if you search intensely for it’s wrought iron balconies and forest green trim around the windows. The brief tour of the home was truly something special because it brought us closer to what life would be like for a common citizen of Matosinhos. I find it is these small anecdotes that I wish to share with you because they tell you more about the architecture than I ever could in a deep analysis of the plan or section.

Casa de Roberto Ivens interior, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Casa de Roberto Ivens interior, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

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Casa de Roberto Ivens main stair, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

Casa de Roberto Ivens main stair, Matosinhos, 1961, Álvaro Siza Vieira

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I remember after Manuel and I had spoken for roughly twenty or thirty minutes the topic of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation came up in passing. I don’t think I can explain enough the excitement he showed for a few key projects - both his own and others. The most significant I can recall are: Santa Clara 1728, the school in Vila Nova da Barquinha, the Convent of Christ, and the Gulbenkian Foundation. You could just tell these projects ignited a passion in him; they were at the heart of what he seeks to do in his work. What I found most impressive is how the Gulbenkian really struck him, but also impressed my father and myself.

First off, it is important to note that the Gulbenkian had always been on my list of sites, but I never perceived it to be an architectural marvel. I just knew it had a wonderful art collection, and that it played a significant role in Portugal. When my dad and I arrived we were greeted by the Brutalist-style buildings situated on the complex tucked within the Campolide neighborhood of Lisbon. Aside from the beautifully lush greenery, I wouldn’t say the exterior excited me. It felt cohesive as a larger scale museum with many satellite buildings, but it never came across as a project that I would visit another country to see.

I will be the first to say, my college application essay should’ve included the Gulbenkian Foundation when I wrote: “I wish to visit all the museums that are arguably more interesting than the artwork they house”. I may have perceived the outside to be average, but the interior was more than I could have ever believed. The richness of textures, warm earth tones, and the tranquility of the surrounding gardens within the museum, made me feel calm and serene in the galleries. I remember stepping into a gallery with ancient artwork on stone carvings and saying to my dad, “This curator is a genius!” Just the way they set the lights up to project onto the artwork and the small description to the right was just so elegant.

But it wasn’t until I met with Manuel that I truly appreciated why the museum is so special. I told him there was a closeness with the art I was able to obtain, unlike any other museum I had been to. He explained that the datum of sight always remains with the gardens that surround the main building.

And that each gallery has a connection to this - I even recall making my father stop to sit in a set of large leather chairs to examine a Japanese-style garden framed by a grand picture window with bamboo-like flooring beneath our feet. Everything felt so connected to the outside. The architects are not world famous, but their space is, and through my brief encounter of it, I find it to be a Gesamtkunstwerk.

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Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, 1969, Ruy Jervis d’Athouguia, Pedro Cid and Alberto Pessoa Image Credit to: Museu da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Main Gallery, Lisbon, 1969, Ruy Jervis d’Athouguia, Pedro Cid and Alberto Pessoa

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Contemporary Art Gallery Extension, Lisbon, 1983

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Contemporary Art Gallery Extension, Lisbon, 1983

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Alcacer do Sal Residences | Aires Mateus Alcacer do Sal, Portugal | 2010 The Aires Mateus brothers took on the challenge of the “grey zone” in housing for the increasing elderly population. It’s stark white facade against the rural landscape makes an aggressive statement, while providing a fortress of protection to the neighboring medical and health facilities nearby. The “serpent-like” geometry projects from a steeper slope, allowing for roof access. While the alternating cubes are unique in appearance, their function is arguably more interesting as they shade inhabitants from the harsh sun or views from neighbors. The interior of the building is a clean white, with an acoustically engineered ceiling that also provides a contrast to the smoothness of the walls.

The drawing style of the Aires Mateus brothers is uniquely their own. Defining space and its usage is crucial to how they draw. Spaces that are minimally utilized, or repetitive tend to be blacked out, drawing your eye to the main regions. There craft extends into their photography of their structures as well, creating a frame that is unique to the vision of the building. The Alcacer do Sal Residences call into question housing in both a minimalist and practical sense, as well as how crucial it is to understanding the society we face today.

28’

9’

16’

6’

N

Individual Module | Scale 1/4”

Individual Module | Scale 1/4”

Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence, 2010, Aires Mateus

Ground Floor Plan

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interesting as they shade inhabitants from the harsh sun or views from neighbors. The interior of the building is a clean white, with an acoustically engineered ceiling that also provides a contrast to the smoothness of the walls.

The drawing style of the Aires Mateus brothers is uniquely their own. Defining space and its usage is crucial to how they draw. Spaces that are minimally utilized, or repetitive tend to be blacked out, drawing your eye to the main regions. There craft extends into their photography of their structures as well, creating a frame that is unique to the vision of the building. The Alcacer do Sal Residences call into question housing in both a minimalist and practical sense, as well as how crucial it is to understanding the society we face today.

This final project is one close to my heart. It was the second case study I ever did of a built architectural work. It is also one of the most uniquely shaped and programmed buildings I have ever come across in my life. The snake-like building before you is none other than the Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence. It meanders a landscape of softly sloped hills that sits as a buffer between civilization and an empty vastness of trees and greenery. It is home to roughly eighty residents with most rooms for two individuals.

Now before I begin to dive into this project and confess my deep love for it, you might be wondering what Álvaro Siza Vieira’s childhood home, a famous art foundation, and an elderly residence have in common? More importantly, you might be asking why is she ending a book studying architecture with a section entitled “The Portuguese, A People Embodied by their Spaces”. It is a relatively simple answer, with a long story attached: I wanted to bring whoever reads this into the journey I experienced as truthfully as I could. In addition, I also wanted to convey how the people I met in Portugal are so deeply connected to their spaces.

I remember on the last night my father and I spent in Porto (early on in our travels) I was experiencing a lot a pain in my leg. I was in a terrible mood, and I didn’t find the food appetizing with the medicine I was on. The waiter tried to accommodate us and even through my grumpy attitude, we started to speak about politics, architecture, and engineering. I learned so much about him, Portugal’s history, culture, youth, and even my father. We found he was studying to be an engineer, working at a restaurant to pay his bills. It was amazing how a simple interaction ended my night as one of the happiest moments, and easily one of the most riveting conversations in my life.

The same scenario happened on our last full day in Lisbon. After visiting Santa Clara we stopped at a small restaurant across the street and told the curious owner we were studying architecture within Portugal. She immediately began beaming and told us of her friend who works across the street as an artist and curator of artwork in a boutique hotel next door to Santa Clara. We ended up visiting the hotel and speaking with this man for nearly two and a half hours. We shared stories of art, history, architecture, and other passions. I wanted to end my research with these anecdotes because they are the very spaces I visited, they are the people of Portugal - they are humble, modest, kind, and compassionate. It is too often forgotten, that spaces and buildings are not simply for the legacy or vision of the architect. This does not provide them with a job. Their work is for the people that live, eat, sleep, and breathe in it; and if they are lucky, their buildings will create their legacy.

I want to close with the Elderly Residence in Alcácer do Sal because it is arguably the most fascinating projects, and easily one of the most loved by the people who live and work in it every day. I think this is a difficult balance to strike for an architect - something that you are proud of and that challenges your ideas of design, but that also makes those that inhabit the work happy. I was deeply moved by all the projects I saw, but this was by far the highlight of my trip. I had flashbacks to my second year case study when I stepped inside the space and saw the brilliant white stone floors and clean, crisp walls with light bouncing off of them. When we passed through the main hall where the residents were watching TV they seemed happy and at peace, and so did many of the visitors.

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9’

6’

16’

Individual Module | Scale 1/4”

Site Plan

N

Individual Module | Scale 1/4”

30’

64’

43’

120’

76’

180’

4

Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence, 2010, Aires Mateus

114’

165’

50’

7

136’

94’

Second Floor | Scale 1/16” = 1’

Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence view from balcony, 2010, Aires Mateus

4

2

Section 1

4

1

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Section 3

7

First Floor | Scale 1/16” = 1’

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geometry projects from a steeper slope, allowing for roof access. While the alternating cubes are unique in appearance, their function is argu interesting as they shade inhabitants from the harsh sun or views from neighbors. The interior of the building is a clean white, with an acoustically ceiling that also provides a contrast to the smoothness of the walls.

The drawing style of the Aires Mateus brothers is uniquely their own. Defining space and its usage is crucial to how they draw. Spaces that are utilized, or repetitive tend to be blacked out, drawing your eye to the main regions. There craft extends into their photography of their structu creating a frame that is unique to the vision of the building. The Alcacer do Sal Residences call into question housing in both a minimalist and prac as well as how crucial it is to understanding the society we face today.

In school they teach you that light and a connection to the natural outdoors is key for people to stay healthy, and to keep their minds active as they grow older.

Each room at the residence comes with a balcony, generated by the checkerboard facade pattern. It’s an elegant solution that integrates all faces of the building - uniting the interior and exterior. It also provides a bit of clarity as to what goes on inside the building; it is not publicized directly, but it creates a rhythm that one might be able to predict where the bedrooms are located.

The way the building glides along and into the landscape’s soft rolling mounds of dirt and grass is also quite beautiful. Since the south is known for its cork trees and drier weather conditions the landscaping is different than that of the Rectorate at NOVA University, for example. There are these small trees that remind me of twigs with green pompoms on the ends - clearly having been manicured regularly. The pathways through these modest trees meander in zig-zagging lines around the various grade changes. The way a building touches the sky in Portugal is another experience that I found to be unlike many places I have experienced before. With this project the way the building meets the brilliant blue sky is also completely different from all the other works I saw because its facade moves along its edge to create the checkerboard pattern. With the bending of the facade to allow for the patios off each room, the glow of the sky is reflected off the surface of the glass. The strong silhouette of the building against the sky cuts like a razor blade along smooth blue silk.

I’ve touched on this before, but I found the most important aspect of the project to come through during the visit with one of the aides. She took my father and I through the hallways filled with light glowing from both sides of the single loaded corridor. As we passed each room (it’s important to note I was not allowed to take photos inside with the residents) there were small hanging color plush toys with the residents pictures to mark which space was theirs, as well as providing some color and personality.

I remember asking her if she loved working here and if the people that lived in the residence enjoyed the space. A smile broke out on her face as she managed to make out what I was saying since neither of us spoke much of the other’s language. She nodded and her expression told me how much she loved it. She motioned to the main stair as her smile grew; and I could tell just how much this place meant to her. Visiting the Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence was truly an unforgettable experience. It will live endlessly in my mind, but more importantly, it will remind me how significant a space is to those that use it, and in turn how people are essential for great spaces.

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9’

6’

16’

Individual Module | Scale 1/4” Room Plan

Individ

30’

64’

43’

120’

76’

4

Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence Balconies, 2010, Aires Mateus 114’

50’

7

136’

94’

Second Floor | Scale 1/16” = 1’

4 2

Section 1

1 3

Section 3 7

First Floor | Scale 1/16” = 1’

Section 4

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Alcácer do Sal Elderly Residence, 2010, Aires Mateus

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CLOSING REMARKS | A HUMBLE “THANK YOU”

First of all I would like to thank my professors at RPI that showed me a path to the work of Manuel and Francisco Aires Matues. This journey all began in professor Gustavo Crembil’s Case Studies class my freshman year, and now it has led me to the beautiful country of Portugal. I would like to thank Professor David Bell, to whom I am grateful for teaching me how to find a voice in dissecting architecture. I would like to thank Professor Yael Erel, who I developed a close connection to while studying in Italy. But more importantly she guided me to the most valuable person, for whom without I would never have been able to make this trip - Carla Leitao.

To Professor Leitao: Thank you! I have said it many times over, but without your guidance, appreciation, trust, and respect, I would never have created the trip that I took. You shared your wisdom from working with Manuel and Francisco, and introduced me to all that your home country has to offer. I will always be in your debt, thank you.

To the friends that proofread my proposal, helping me find the right alignment, font, and design: thank you. Architecture is not a solo act, and it is our peers and their encouragement that helps us to reach our goals. I want to thank Cassandra Carvas, without whom I never would’ve found my way along dirt roads to the majestic projects we visited. Thank you for answering every email, and for setting up meetings at the most exceptional sites. Thank you to Martina and Mariana, from Manuel’s office, who shared along in the journey. Thank you to João Pais, who arranged my life-changing meeting with Manuel. Thank you to Jorge Silva (whom without Carla I never would’ve known), who helped to set this entire trip and interaction with Manuel’s office in motion.

Thank you to Sara Roldão from Francisco’s office. After reaching out, she was very accommodating with respect to visiting Francisco’s office and the Elderly Residence for which I am extremely grateful.

Most importantly, thank you to Manuel and Francisco. Without these two men I would not have had the work, I love so deeply, to study. I cannot put into words what it meant for them to open their offices to me, take time to allow for me to meet with them and their team, as well as to invite me and my father to see so much of their work. It is a blessing when the people we respect and praise so highly live up to expectation and so much more. It is so rewarding and meaningful when you can take away such value and find true inspiration.

I am grateful from my time in Portugal, for the selection committee that provided me with the means to take this trip, and for the world of architecture that I have only begun to enter. My curiosity is everlasting and it is a true blessing to be able to pursue my greatest ambitions. Most importantly, I would like to thank my parents, Howard and Betty Warner. They not only supported me through my education, but are my biggest cheerleaders in life, architecture, and my dreams. I would not be where I am if it were not for these two amazing people. They taught me to think big and work hard. They are the biggest light in my life. Many thanks to all who stuck with me thus far; and cheers to the future ahead.

Shelley J. Warner

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