Hydroelectric Towns in Portugal

MOREIRA, César

Publication

Hydroelectric Towns in Portugal

2014-05-22Conference object

dc.contributor.author	MOREIRA, César
dc.date.accessioned	2018-02-20T20:29:13Z
dc.date.available	2018-02-20T20:29:13Z
dc.date.issued	2014-05-22
dc.description.abstract	During the 20th century, the production of electricity by hydroelectric methods brought about dramatic modifications in the Portuguese landscape. This paper looks at the work produced by architect Januário Godinho between 1945 and 1964 for the Cávado Hydroelectric Company (HICA), and his design on different levels for the hydroelectric complex on the Cávado River, located in the inland region of Trás-os-Montes in the north of Portugal. HICA and the architecture of Januário Godinho addresses the relationship between technological development and structural conception, and the use of design on a largescale landscape to overcome the limits of 'modern architecture'. The disproportionate nexus of scale between the operation itself, the obsession of the Portuguese political body and the ethnographic interests of the intellectuals created a clash that may bring about a new understanding of the facts when looked at in relation to the debate on contemporary planning. Located at a great distance from major cities, very difficult to get to and with very few, if any, resources available, the structures built by HICA necessitated the creation of a series of small, brand-new urban settlements. New settings were designed, which fell somewhere between the two apparently opposed worlds of the village and the hydroelectric power station. Places with economic, social and cultural dimensions such as houses, schools, churches and other social areas coexisted with workplaces, dams, hydroelectric power stations and control centres. The mixed nature of these activities, which were superimposed on the previously existing low-income agricultural structure, created original landscapes as well as an alternative approach to understanding Portuguese post-war architecture. The methods used to produce this landscape of infrastructure were plain: political will supported by technical knowledge, resulting in the creation of a layout in which a cultural approach would inform the design. But if we are asking two apparently neutral questions, a third very simple one also emerges. What did the landscape of Cávado look like before the construction process began? How did the technicians and architects bring about its transformation? If we take a look at the architectural production that emerged there, the answer does not seem clear. The question, then, is: what were the models used in the production of this landscape? Can they be found in the midst of the post-war architectural debate?	pt_PT
dc.description.version	info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion	pt_PT
dc.identifier.citation	César Machado Moreira - Hydroelectric Towns in Portugal in 20th CENTURY NEW TOWNS. ARCHETYPES AND UNCERTAINTIES. Conference proceedings / Edited by Paolo Marcolin and Joaquim Flores. Porto: CEAA e DARQ, 2014, p. 263-276	pt_PT
dc.identifier.isbn	978-972-8784-57-7
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/21365
dc.language.iso	eng	pt_PT
dc.peerreviewed	no	pt_PT
dc.publisher	CEAA e DARQ/ESAP	pt_PT
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	pt_PT
dc.subject	Arquitetura Portuguesa	pt_PT
dc.subject	Portuguese Architecture	pt_PT
dc.subject	Arquitetura Moderna	pt_PT
dc.subject	Modern Architecture	pt_PT
dc.subject	HICA	pt_PT
dc.subject	Januário Godinho	pt_PT
dc.title	Hydroelectric Towns in Portugal	pt_PT
dc.type	conference object
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.awardURI	info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/COMPETE/PTDC%2FATP-AQI%2F4805%2F2012/PT
oaire.citation.conferencePlace	Porto	pt_PT
oaire.citation.endPage	276	pt_PT
oaire.citation.issue	1	pt_PT
oaire.citation.startPage	263	pt_PT
oaire.citation.title	20th CENTURY NEW TOWNS. ARCHETYPES AND UNCERTAINTIES. Conference proceedings	pt_PT
oaire.fundingStream	COMPETE
project.funder.identifier	http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
project.funder.name	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
rcaap.rights	openAccess	pt_PT
rcaap.type	conferenceObject	pt_PT
relation.isProjectOfPublication	41d034f2-c7c7-45b9-bfc8-8c3feca51486
relation.isProjectOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	41d034f2-c7c7-45b9-bfc8-8c3feca51486