To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Architect José Carlos Loureiro, the School of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) and the Marques da Silva Foundation organized an exhibition for the event under the general curatorship of Professor Alexandre Alves Costa. Nuno Brandão Costa and Luís Loureiro curated and designed the exhibition project, set up at the FAUP Museum by architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. The exhibition shows a digest of 3 of his seminal works (the 1949 Valbom house, the 1954 Parnaso building and the 1966 D. Henrique Hotel Tower). Three 3D models at scale 1:50, resting on elementary wooden supports, complemented by 3 black and white photographs of the built constructions seek to recap the entire work and significance of this architect. The scale relationship between the objects on display and the curvilinear geometry of the Museum results in a staged scene of great simplicity which strives to signify the prominence of architecture. A large-scale video image is projected on the flat wall opposite the curve, with a close-up interview of the distinguished architect. His voice bounces off the museum walls, lending body to his presence in the space, a metaphor for his importance in the recent history of Portuguese architecture.
general commissioner:
alexandre alves costa
curatorship and exhibition project:
luís loureiro,
nuno brandão costa
collaborators:
diogo norton,
joão nascimento,
raul fontes
photographs:
andré cepeda