Tidal pool exhibition at Casa da Arquitectura

No Place is a Desert" is based on the famous aphorism formulated by Álvaro Siza regarding the multiplicity of references (natural, topographical, built, immaterial) that architects find in a place and which serve as a creative catalyst for the project. Contrary to what one might think, the Leça da Palmeira Swimming Pool complex, designed and built between 1960 and 2021, was not conceived as a single project, but rather as the result of consecutive commissions and revisions that dictated the gradual growth of the bathing complex, from the construction of a tidal pool to its recent renovation and extension to the north.

The exhibition aims to illustrate the multiple lives of one of the most emblematic works of 20th century architecture, incorporating a vast array of drawings, photographs, audiovisuals and objects (collected from public and private archives) - many of them unpublished - that allow us to reconstitute, in three sections, a critical narrative of the design, construction and renovation process over the last six decades.

The presentation of the exhibition "No Place is Desert" is part of the Constellations axis of the 3rd edition of the Porto Design Biennale, made up of a series of autonomously organised and curated events which, due to their disciplinary and thematic relevance, are included in the Porto Design Biennale programme. "No Place is a Desert" opened on 18 May 2022 at FAUP, where it was on show until 1 July, continuing its tour at the Gulbenkian Art Library in Lisbon.

The exhibition is part of the FAUP project funded through the Getty Foundation's 'Keeping It Modern' initiative, and is part of the UNESCO Chair "Heritage, Cities and Landscapes. Sustainable Management, Conservation, Planning and Design", awarded to the University of Porto through the FAUP.

With the opening of the exhibition, the debate "Keeping it Modern. Álvaro Siza: Piscina das Marés", which includes the final presentation of the project of the same name.

The meeting will include the participation of Magda Serifert, Teresa Calix, Ana Tostões, Paulo B. Lourenço, Rui Fernandes Póvoas, Teresa Cunha Ferreira, Luís Martinho Urbano and Fernando Rocha, Councillor for Culture at Matosinhos City Council. Nuno Sampaio, Executive Director of Casa da Arquitectura, opens the session.

Casa da Arquitectura is a partner in the FAUP project.

All the information https://www.portodesignbiennale.pt/pt/agenda/nenhum-sitio-e-deserto