Trip to Porto 2025 2026

DATE

01.12.2025

The MArch students took an academic trip to Porto, where they were able to explore firsthand some of the most relevant buildings in the contemporary architectural landscape of the city and its surroundings.

The visit was accompanied by program lecturers António Choupina, Graça Correia, Roberto Ragazzi, and Zé Carlos Oliveira, who provided the students with professional and critical context for each of the works visited.

During the tour, the students visited the church in Meinedo, designed by Graça Correia and Roberto Ragazzi, and explored emblematic projects by Álvaro Siza, such as the Leça de Palmeira swimming pools and the Boa Nova Tea House, where they were able to appreciate the architect’s sensitivity to the landscape and constructive tradition. They also visited the Trofa Town Hall and the Panike offices, a project by the Noarq studio led by Zé Carlos Oliveira, as well as the Abade Pedrosa Museum, a collaboration between Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, where the dialogue between contemporary architecture and historical context is particularly evident.

The trip also included the opportunity to attend the opening of the exhibition Beleza apesar de tudo at the Serralves space, which offers an overview of the professional career of Aires Mateus through a selection of models. This exhibition allows students to delve into the design processes of the Portuguese studio and understand how ideas are materialized into both constructed and conceptual objects, reinforcing the importance of research and critical thinking in architectural education.

The experience combined academic learning with direct contact with professional practice, offering MArch students a unique perspective on contemporary architecture in Portugal. Thanks to the guidance of the lecturers, they were able to closely analyze design strategies, the relationship with the environment, and the formal resources of the buildings visited, consolidating theoretical knowledge through the direct observation of works that are benchmarks both nationally and internationally.