RAW MATERIAL: A VIEW OF THE ARCHIVE OF ÁLVARO SIZA

From 2016 onwards the Serralves Foundation, the Canadian Centre for Architecture of Montréal and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, will be the guardians of a considerable portion of the archive of Álvaro Siza Vieira - one of Portugal’s most internationally-renowned architects and author of the project of the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art.In this context, the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art presents an exhibition that emphasizes the importance of archival materials for the study of architecture, including drawings, scale models, letters and minutes of meetings related to the conception and construction of several of the architect’s iconic works.Alvaro Siza’s professional archive - which includes work materials produced by the architect to design and build outstanding works - is a genuine treasure trove of knowledge. This exhibition reveals his incessant use of drawing as a privileged work instrument, foreshadowing shapes and spaces through sketches and technical drawings in a process of successive approximation to the intended final result. But an archive is more than a set of drawings. The exhibition therefore includes correspondence with customers, photographic records of the places where the works will be built, relations with regulatory authorities and the professional opinions of the multiple agents intervening in the construction processes, the scale models that make it possible to foresee the proposals, minutes of meetings and reports of any sources of tensions in the construction yards - documents that record a plethora of unseen episodes in the finished work. This exhibition aims to demonstrate that the document archive now available for public consultation in the Serralves Museum’s Library is a wealth of information that will enable users to share and rediscover Álvaro Siza’s invaluable work.
"RAW MATERIAL: A VIEW FROM THE ARCHIVE OF ÁLVARO SIZA" is organized by the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art and curated by André Tavares.

Image: Alvaro Siza. Sketches, Serralves Museum
Related Activities OPENING: 15 JUN (WED), 18H30
CONVERSATION WITH ANDRÉ TAVARES AND ÁLVARO SIZA: 15 JUN (WED), 19H00, auditorium
Free entrance (subject to the seating capacity of the space).  GUIDED TOURS
09 JUL (Sat), 16h00
By Matilde Seabra (in english), Museum Educator
17 JUL (Sun), 12h00By Inês Caetano, Museum Educator
24 JUL (Sun), 12h00
By Matilde Seabra, Museum Educator
28 JUL (Thu), 18h30By André Tavares, Exhibition curator
11 SEP (Sun), 12h00By Matilde Seabra, Museum Educator
PROJECTS IN THE EXHIBITION 1. Four Dwellings, Matosinhos — 1954-19572. Carneiro de Melo House, Porto — 1956-19593. Parish Hall and Service Centre, Matosinhos — 1956-19594. Swimming-pool of Quinta da Conceição, Matosinhos — 1958-19655. Luís Rocha Ribeiro House, Maia — 1959-19696.  Lordelo Cooperative, Porto — 1960-19637. Ferreira da Costa House, Matosinhos — 1962-19658. Alves dos Santos House, Póvoa de Varzim — 1964-19689. Alcino Cardoso House, Moledo do Minho — 1971-197310. Carlos Beires House, Póvoa de Varzim — 1973-197611. Maria Margarida Machado House, Arcozelo — 1979-198312. Luís Figueiredo House, Gondomar — 1984-199413. César Rodrigues House, Porto — 1987-199614. Quinta da Póvoa and Carlos Ramos Pavilion, Porto — 1983-198615. Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto, Porto — 1987-199316. Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto — 1989-199917. Recovery of the Costa Braga Building, Matosinhos — 1993-199718. Housing complex and offices in Avenida da Boavista, Porto, with António Madureira — 1990-199819. Carcereira Housing Unit, Carcereira, Porto, with António Madureira — 1997-200420. Office Building in Rua do Aleixo, Porto — 1993-199721. Administration Building of the Ports of Douro and Leixões, Leça da Palmeira — 1995-200022. Porto 2001, Redevelopment of Avenida D. Afonso Henriques, Porto — 1999-200123. Porto 2001, Fonte do Cativo, Porto — 1999-200024. Metro do Porto, São Bento Station, Porto — 1999-200525. Porto 2001, Urban Intervention on Praça da Liberdade, Porto — 1999-200026. Multipurpose Pavilion, Gondomar — 2000-200727. Armanda Passos House, Porto — 2002-2006