© Casa da Arquitectura
Exhibition: O que faz falta. 50 years of Portuguese architecture in democracy

Casa da Arquitectura: 26th October 2024 – 7th September 2025

Casa da Arquitectura is joining in the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of 25 April 1974 Revolution with the exhibition “O que faz falta. 50 years of Portuguese architecture in democracy”, curated by architects Jorge Figueira (curator) and Ana Neiva (assistant curator), that will open to the public on 26th October.
Throughout the weekend, with free access, a varied program is offered, including music, conferences and visits. The formal opening of the exhibition will take place on 26th October at 3pm in the Álvaro Siza Space. The Executive Director will welcome all those wishing to attend a talk moderated by the exhibition’s curators and featuring architects Ana Luísa Soares, Gonçalo Byrne e Manuel Correia Fernandes. They will analyse the professional practice, the time that is being celebrated and ‘what is missing’ in the ongoing construction of democratic space.
Program here

The title of the exhibition pays homage to one of the figures of April, José Afonso, and to the song “O que faz falta”, from the album Coro dos Tribunais, released in 1974.

In the words of the curators, “the general aim of the exhibition is to establish a panoramic reading of architectural production between the Revolution of April 1974 and the present day (2024), revealing how architecture was, and is, both a reflection and an incentive of the democratic regime in Portugal. In this sense, the projects selected reflect the ways in which architecture has implemented various public programmes, taking into account the geographical diversity of the country, both continental and insular, and the contribution of architects from different backgrounds and generations.”

The exhibition “O que faz falta. 50 years of Portuguese architecture in democracy” is taken from the “50 years of Portuguese Contemporary Architecture” collection, a collection created by Casa da Arquitectura that analyses the production of architecture in the democratic period, with the aim of creating a collection with a territorial and temporal focus. This collection, curated by Carlos Machado e Moura, Graça Correia, João Belo Rodeia, Jorge Figueira, Paula Melâneo and Ricardo Carvalho, aims to promote study and research by all interested parties and from which various thematic readings will be drawn in future exhibitions, activities and publications.

The exhibition is divided into five temporal modules, and consists of models, original drawings and photographs, such that the exhibition will dialogue with different socio-cultural contexts, calling on references from literature, cinema and documentaries and paying tribute to a group of personalities outside architecture who are key figures in Portuguese history and society.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a parallel programme curated by architects Nuno Sampaio and Jorge Figueira, being the first scheduled for 11th October 
The exhibition will run until 7 September 2025.

More info.