Portugal

Along the Atlantic coast, in historic cities and quiet villages, we encounter buildings rooted in centuries-old crafts and materials, yet open to contemporary experimentation and international influences. This journey offers a unique opportunity to explore Portuguese architecture of the past decades.

Porto forms the heart of a fascinating architectural tradition known as the “School of Porto.” Since the 1950s, under the leadership of Carlos Ramos, the architecture institute has evolved into a vibrant platform for debate, research, and design, firmly embedded in the social and cultural reality of the city.

The influence of Fernando Tavora is unmistakable: his approach, in which architecture is seen as a continuous dialogue with the environment, tradition, and human scale, shaped multiple generations of designers, including the internationally acclaimed Alvaro Siza and his student Eduardo Souto de Moura. In their work – from renovations of historic monasteries to minimalist cultural centers – a subtle balance is achieved between monumental presence, poetic simplicity, and respect for material and context.

Beyond the iconic work of Fernando Tavora, Alvaro Siza, and Eduardo Souto de Moura, a new generation of architects such as Fala Atelier, Aires Mateus, and BAK Gordon Arquitectos demonstrates how local traditions, simplicity, and precision can be translated into contemporary projects. Their work emphasizes light, material, scale, and rhythm, creating spaces that resonate both functionally and poetically, often subtly integrated into the urban fabric and landscape.

During the journey, we will explore how architects allow historic structures to live on and evolve in contemporary projects, from urban interventions to private residences. Portugal thus reveals an architectural landscape rich in both heritage and experimentation, a place where history and future, local identity, and global inspiration converge.

While the exact itinerary is still being finalized, this journey promises an in-depth look at an architectural practice that is locally rooted yet resonates globally.

More information about the final program will follow.