Field Trip: Portugal (Summer Semester 2013)

A small country at the western edge of the European world, which, like a kaleidoscope, brings together many of the issues that concern us here in Europe. Today, two images dominate: the economic problem child in the context of the European banking crisis and the tourism hotspot on the southern coast. Beneath the surface, however, lie many layers that are rich with potential for us as architects and planners: the interface with the Islamic cultural sphere, the eternal rivalry with its large and powerful neighbor Spain, Portugal as the starting point of colonial expansion, periods of immense grandeur and wealth, other periods of poverty, backwardness, and oppression, and many, many upheavals—such as, most recently, the Carnation Revolution and accession to the EU.

If we take architecture, the city, public space, and the treatment of land and landscape as a guidebook for a society’s self-image and its developmental trends, we are struck by the consistency of high cultural standards in the big picture and high-quality architecture in the details: it forms a common thread and provides orientation amid the mass of the mundane. This applies to everyday projects as well as to outstanding complexes of central importance and has led to Portugal, an economic dwarf, becoming an architectural giant.

For 10 days, we will travel through the country largely off the beaten path, taking in the diverse landscapes and climates, and spending time in both large and small towns. Along the way, we’ll encounter numerous architectural landmarks—both old and new—primarily works by local architects and, in some cases, projects by internationally active firms, which, we hope, will highlight the value of engaging with the built environment—architecture, the city, and the landscape. We seek the opposite of what we know in order to learn from it.