About

The city is by nature the place of Man. The place where we have long since put down our roots, sheltered and established our social, economic and cultural relations. The life and image of the city are always the result of the local and global circumstances of each moment. Man expresses himself in space by choosing what precedes him and, naturally, by building on future aspirations. The city is, therefore, the superior revelation of our existence in time. It is in the organisation of space and architecture that we find an important part of our history. The arrival of the digital age has given the physical transformation a universal dimension. It opened up the possibility of occupying 'other people's cities' at any time. Today, few territories have 'safe' borders and boundaries. The United Nations Agenda 2030 suggests a path based on seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.

The aim of this colloquium is to sketch the city of Coimbra in the light of certain permanences that, for now, still identify distinct 'reforms' produced throughout its existence. We will observe such transformations, framing them in time and space, focusing on the architecture of the city and on some of its protagonists, the architects. Thus, two days will bring together authors of recognised national and international merit who will offer us a renewed perspective of the city's evolution. We will position it in the regional, national, European and global contexts. From the Roman presence to contemporaneity (30-2030), we will witness how in the city of Coimbra architects have manifested, through their projects and works, the dreams of the time, legacies of the becoming.

Organisers: José António Bandeirinha, Luís Miguel Correia and Carolina Coelho

Departament of Architecture of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (DARQ-FCTUC) | Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (CES-UC) | Centre of 20th Century Interdisciplinary Studiesa (CEIS20-UC)