Prémio Fernando Távora. A viagem de investigação enquanto instrumento na formação do arquiteto

Abstract

The act of traveling encompasses a significant component of learning, stimulated by the experience acquired through direct contact with other realities. Likewise, for the architect, it proves indispensable in their formation, serving as an irreplaceable method and instrument of investigation, fostering cultural growth and consolidating knowledge. Between Portugal and Japan, Fernando Távora (1923-2005) embarked on a series of journeys that contributed to his development as a person, teacher and architect. As a singular episode in his life trajectory, the journey undertaken in 1960 to the United States of America stands out, under a scholarship funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG), aiming to Study the Methods of Teaching Architecture and Urban Planning at prestigious American Universities and Institutions. As a posthumous initiative, the Northern Regional Section of the Portuguese Association of Architects (OASRN) honored the master and institutionalized his commitment to travel by establishing the Fernando Távora Prize in 2005, thereby consolidating Távora's methodological, pedagogical and cultural legacy. Unprecedented on the national scene, it annually awards a grant for a journey within the scope of a research project, with nineteen journeys proposed across nearly all continents thus far, whose themes either diverge or complement each other. From the awardees' testimonies arise intersections and coincidences in their own journeys, as well as affinities and dissonances in their methods of observation and communication, alongside the efforts and adversities inherent in physical travel. In this stance, the present dissertation aims to confront the heterogeneity of itineraries regarding their objectives, methodologies, and strategies set forth by a research journey, comparing the respective motivations and outcomes.