International Conference on Structure and Architecture
 The Conference will be held at the Convention Centre of the Campus of Azurém of the University of Minho in Guimarães, Portugal. There is a need to stimulate the inventive and creative design of architectural structures and to persuade architects and structural engineers to collaborate in this process, exploiting together constructive principles and aesthetic and static values.
The aim of the conference is to present research and developments on the merging of architecture and structural engineering. To know more visit the official website |
|
Explore Guimarães As the first capital of Portugal and birthplace of the nation's first king, Guimarães is one of the country's most historic cities, and its World Heritage medieval streets with well-preserved monuments make it one of the most attractive places to visit in Portugal.
Guimarães is declared as a World Heritage Site. UNESCO states, "Guimarães is of considerable universal significance by virtue of the fact that specialised building techniques developed there in the Middle Ages were transmitted to Portuguese colonies in Africa and the New World, becoming their characteristic feature. The early history of Guimarães is closely associated with the establishment of Portuguese national identity and the Portuguese language in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved town, Guimarães illustrates the evolution of particular building types from the medieval settlement to the present-day city, and particularly in the 15th-19th centuries." The city was founded upon much older settlements by Count Vímara Peres after his namesake (Vimaranis, later Guimaranis), soon after he established the first County of Portugal (in 868). As the first capital of Portugal, Guimarães is known as the place where the country was born – "The Cradle City" |
|
Key Attractions: |
|
The medieval castle
The imposing medieval castle with eight crenellated towers 28m (92ft) high, was built in the 10th century to protect the population from attacks by the Moors and the Normans. It was then extended to its present size in the 12th century by Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, who was baptized in the small Romanesque chapel next to the castle.
|
|
Palace of the Dukes
Across from the chapel is the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, built in the 15th century as a medieval palace, with 39 unusual brick chimneys showing strong Northern European influence. It was used as recently as a few decades ago during the Salazar dictatorship as an official residence for the president. Inside is an impressive banqueting hall with a splendid wooden ceiling, Guimarães Palace and an extensive collection of portraits, furniture, carpets, and porcelain dating mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries.
|
|
São Francisco Church
Among the several churches in Guimarães, the finest is São Francisco Church on the south side of the city gardens. Built in 1400 in Gothic style, it was restored in the 18th century and features a series of magnificent tiles and an elegant Renaissance cloister and fountain.
|
|
Rua de Santa Maria From the castle, the beautiful cobbled Rua de Santa Maria has remained essentially unchanged for centuries, and leads down into the heart of the old town, where there are superbly restored historic buildings. One of those buildings is the former 16th-century Baroque convent of Santa Maria, now serving as the City Hall.
|
|
Alberto Sampaio MuseumIn the church's Romanesque cloister is the Alberto Sampaio Museum, exhibiting some outstanding religious art. The biggest treasures are a tunic worn by João I in the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 and a silver altarpiece reportedly taken from the defeated Spanish king.
|
|
Citania de Briteiros
Citania de Briteiros was inhabited from about 300 BC to 300 AD and its ruins were discovered in 1875. This fascinating archeological site is open to visitors (also easily accessible from Braga), with the foundations of more than 150 stone huts, with two of them having been restored to show their original appearance. Objects unearthed in the excavations such as fragments of painted pottery, carved stones, weapons, and jewelry, are also on display in a museum dedicated to these Iron Age settlements called "castros" in the village of Briteiros, not too far from Guimarães. Citania de Briteiros If you visit the site, don't miss this museum, as well as Guimarães' Martins Sarmento Museum.
|
|
Architects and Practices: |
|
Aires Mateus & Associados, LDARua Silva Carvalho, claudiovilarinho.com architects and designersClaudio Vilarinho NAdA ArchitectsCamilo Rebocho Vaz . Vera Trindade |
Promontorio ArchitectsJoão Perloiro, João Luís Ferreira, Paulo Perloiro, Paulo Martins Barata, Pedro Appleton ReD Research and DesignMarta Male-Alemany, Arch; Jose Pedro Sousa, Arch. Sousasantos arquitectosJorge Sousa Santos |
