Projecto e Circunstância. A coerência na diversidade da obra de Rogério de Azevedo

Abstract

The present research focuses on the work of Rogério Azevedo, an architect from the city of Porto who lived between 1898 and 1983. Based on the recognition of his body of work and its significance, this thesis proposes a new perspective on this architect, enabling his figure to be recovered from a particular vision which, in the general panorama of portuguese architectural historiography, often amounts to a rather partial and incomplete analysis. His work - reflecting the various conditions under which it was produced in the course of a remarkably long lifespan - can hardly be categorised. Its stimulating examination calls for an excursion through the different periods in the history of architecture, confirming the author's erudition, as well as the quality and unequivocal coherence of each of his projects. Thus, beauxarts and art-déco, the classical tradition and modernism, both converge in this author as references he was capable of handling with freedom and wisdom. Supported by paradigmatic examples and rooted in the vast and dispersed documentation collected, we were able to advocate for and justify the fact that the observable diversity in these projects does not conceal any kind of randomness. On the contrary, it can be tangibly explained on a case-bycase basis, attending to every particular circumstance. Furthermore, this investigation allowed us to uncover permanences or constants that strongly accentuate the overall unity or coherence in diversity of this author's work. The study of Rogério de Azevedo constituted the opportunity for the author to contribute (even if only to a limited extent) to the construction of a more complete overview on the past and present of the Escola do Porto [School of Porto].