Articles by Victor Delaqua

Like architecture, food has a way of making us feel a sense of time and place. The act of eating together is ingrained in our human rituals surrounding spaces and how we inhabit them. The space that shelters us during our meal can be bustling or intimate, but nevertheless contributes our memories there, and the experience of eating at a good restaurant goes far beyond the food served in it. For it to be truly immersive, everything is thought of – from the shade of timber to the shape of your knife when you sit down to eat. 

In all but the most optimistic architect’s career, there will be moments you come across doubts and insecurities about our profession. It is in these moments where the wisdom of the greats who have come before us can help provoke the inspiration needed to face the challenges proposed by architecture and urbanism.

Needing an architectural pick-me-up? Check out some advice from Alejandro Aravena, Álvaro Siza, César Pelli, Francis Kére, Jeanne Gang, Norman Foster and Paulo Mendes da Rocha after the break.

In all but the most optimistic architect’s career, there will be moments you come across doubts and insecurities about our profession. It is in these moments where the wisdom of the greats who have come before us can help provoke the inspiration needed to face the challenges proposed by architecture and urbanism.

Needing an architectural pick-me-up? Check out some advice from Alejandro Aravena, Álvaro Siza, César Pelli, Francis Kére, Jeanne Gang, Norman Foster and Paulo Mendes da Rocha after the break.

In the tropics, the sunlight falls generously. The leaked elements draw the shadow on floors and walls, an effect that transforms the entire environment for those who see it from the outside and inside. With the changing seasons and throughout the course of the day, natural light comes in different ways as it adds new components to architecture. In the course of the night, the artificial light passes through the small openings from the inside to the outside, making a sort of urban lamp that interacts with the shadows of its users and furniture. 

Prefabrication is not a new idea for architects, but its usage is arguably on the rise. Using prefabricated materials can keep your costs down, as well as make your project more sustainable and efficient. But for this to happen, there must be a defined process of construction, which respects the architectural intent and integrates the entire structure with the building’s facilities. This way, the work can be carried out in the shortest time possible, and the cost of labor and maintenance is reduced, as is the waste of materials.

Serralves Collection: 1960-1980 presents the work of Portuguese and international artists from the collection of the Serralves Museum. This new display, which marks the beginning of a series that gives continued visibility to the Serralves Collection, privileges the decades of 1960 and 1970 as foundational to our understanding of contemporary art and to the development of the Collection since the establishment of the Serralves Foundation in 1989. The Works on view reflect a diversity of artistic production, ranging from the beginnings of post-minimal and conceptual art and their expressions in Portugal and diferente parts of the world, to experimentation with abstraction, figurative representation, performance and the use of new media.1

Like a reader hooked on a bestselling thriller, the design of libraries has enthralled architects and the general public for centuries. From the classical mahogany grandeur of the world-famous Long Room at Trinity College Dublin to the post-war, brick modernism of the British Library in London, the important role of libraries in our lives has historically demanded a degree of architectural thought and consideration.

The church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande will be the first church built in France’s Brittany region in the 21st-century. The project has been contracted to the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. Siza’s use of light and white concrete provide a unique ceremonial space that gently folds into the neighborhood south of Rennes, a residential area with five-story housing blocks. The Porto-based Italian photographer, Nicolò Galeazzi, visited the site and shared with us his perspective of Siza’s work in progress. 

Last year I had the opportunity to visit Studio Gang, one of the most prestigious and inspiring firms around led by architect Jeanne Gang. I was able to talk with her team about the workspace, some of her projects, about the future of architecture, the role of women in the profession and even about the inspirations behind the United States Embassy in Brasilia.