DATE

12.05.2026

The round table featured Eduardo Souto de Moura, Gonçalo Byrne, and João Luís Carrilho da Graça, who approached the evolution of Portuguese architecture over recent decades from different perspectives. The discussion was conceived as a shared space for reflection on the ideas, influences, and processes that have shaped a generation of architects deeply connected to materiality, place, and the construction of space.

As noted, the dialogue took the exhibition Beleza Apesar de Tudo as its starting point, offering an insight into the spatial investigations developed by Aires Mateus over the past twenty years. Through models, drawings, and documents, the exhibition constructs a journey through an architectural thinking centered on synthesis, the relationship between solid and void, and the precise control of light.

During the conversation, the participants explored topics such as scale, materiality, and the role of the project as a physical laboratory. The practice of Aires Mateus was presented as a field of continuous exploration, where each work becomes an opportunity to test new spatial relationships and to consolidate an architectural approach based on reduction and intensity.

This event formed part of the exhibition’s parallel program, which seeks to expand its scope through dialogue among architects and the inclusion of new voices within the contemporary Portuguese architectural scene. The session offered a transversal reading of recent architecture, highlighting both established trajectories and the connections that continue to activate architectural thinking today.

MARCH VALENCIA | ARQUITECTURA Y DISEÑO

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