A Cozinha: Génese, representação e materialização

Abstract

This dissertation analyses the kitchen as a space that reflects transformations in human practices of inhabiting and cooking. The work is structured in three complementary parts. The first part examines the historical evolution of the kitchen, from prehistoric proto-spaces centered on fire to contemporary multifunctional configurations, identifying the technical and sociocultural transitions that defined its spatial morphology. The second part interprets cinematic representations of the kitchen in seven films spanning periods from Prehistory to speculative futures, where this space functions as a narrative device that condenses tensions between architecture, technology, gender, and power in different historical contexts. The third part presents six practical cases of kitchens designed and executed by the author in single-family dwellings and collective architecture, demonstrating the articulation between architectural conception, technical execution, and adaptation to differentiated programmes. The work demonstrates that the kitchen constitutes a privileged observatory of civilizational dynamics, articulating material history, fictional representation, and contemporary design practice within a single architectural space.