Between Vulnerability and Resilience
From and by: Gonçalo Byrne
Synopsis — Portuguese only
One route only, several Lisbon. The architect Gonçalo Byrne explores the history and refines the perception of the evolution of the oldest city, from the 1755 earthquake to modernity. A walk between Alfama and Chiado, made of courtyards, wide, narrow streets, stairs and viewpoints with doors to the sun. We recall the planning of public spaces such as the Arch of St. George’s Castle, the iconic Baixa Pombalina, the Headquarters of the Bank of Portugal or the remains of the wall of D.Dinis (classified as a National Monument) and Muralha Fernandina. The daily life is revisited between Praça do Comércio, where Cais das Colunas is located, or from the slope of Rua do Alecrim to Terraços do Carmo, an award-winning rehabilitation project signed by Álvaro Siza and Carlos Castanheira. An invitation to get to know the spatial diversity that witnesses different transformations of Lisbon throughout centuries of history.
Useful Information
Distance: 4,2 km
Difficulty-Level: Easiest
Audio Duration: 60 minutes
Starting Point: Portas do Sol View Point (São Vicente Statue)
Ends: Largo do Chiado (Underground Station Baixa-Chiado)
Audio File
This podcast is only available in Portuguese at SoundCloud and Spotify.
About Gonçalo Byrne
Gonçalo Byrne © Inês D’Orey
(Alcobaça, 1941) Gonçalo Byrne graduated in Architecture from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon and holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Lisbon School of Architecture and the University of Alghero. His work, extensive and diverse, has been recognized nationally and internationally for its architectural, cultural and heritage expression. He was awarded the A.I.C.A/S.E.C. Prize and the Gold Medal of the French Academy of Architecture and, in 2014, the Piranesi / Prix de Rome for the requalification of the Machado de Castro National Museum, in Coimbra. He has also developed an important career as a teacher in the area of Architecture Project in several Universities, among which stand out Coimbra, Lisbon, Lausanne, Venezia, Mendrisio, Louvain, Harvard, Pamplona, Politecnico de Milano and Alghero.
