Where Álvaro meets Aldo

The Portuguese pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale illustrate the close relationship between Álvaro Siza and social building and with the inhabitans of “his” houses.

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The Portuguese Pavilion’s “Neighbourhood – Where Álvaro meets Aldo” exhibition at the Giudecca for the Venice Biennale offers food for thought on making architecture today.

The exhibition was conceived in an open place and a closed one: amid the constructed spaces of the Campo di Marte housing designed by Siza in 1985 and in a worksite shed converted to exhibition space containing models, videos and film clips. These illustrate the close relationship between Álvaro Siza and social building, examining his works in four different neighbourhoods in Porto, Berlin, The Hague and Venice.

Although the work of the architect is undergoing major changes, when seen in its essence it is an age-old trade and, more than all others, the theme of housing casts light on the real purpose of the profession: to create spaces for people. What emerges from this small but fine exhibition is the dialogue between human beings.

Siza goes back to see architecture he built years ago and asks those living in his housing for their opinions, comments and criticism. Video clips and photographs (strictly b/w in what seems almost an ideological and very 1970s’ choice) record this significant re-encounter. Siza opted to seek the judgements of those living in his houses without any cultural filters. This is a brave choice by someone who knows what it means to build to the highest standards and who has always designed with a focus on the actions of living, putting people before form and ignoring passing fashions.

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"Neighbourhood – Where Álvaro meets Aldo", Portuguese pavilion, Biennale di Venezia 2016

"Neighbourhood – Where Álvaro meets Aldo", Portuguese pavilion, Biennale di Venezia 2016

"Neighbourhood – Where Álvaro meets Aldo", Portuguese pavilion, Biennale di Venezia 2016

He is simply a man who designs for the people and is extremely familiar with both current times and history. The Portuguese Pavilion stands as a fine message to the contemporary nature of design work; a powerful political message that should reach everyone: architects, citizens and administrators but most importantly the young people embarking on this splendid profession of ours. Well done Alvaro Siza but credit goes also to the two curators, Roberto Cremascoli and Nuno Grande, who have given us an extremely poetic Pasolini-type moment.