A Project with Many Dates. Fernando Távora, Santa Cruz and Sansão Square in Coimbra

Abstract

This text seeks to relate Fernando Távora’s urban design of Sansão Square, in Coimbra, with the social, cultural and material conditions that surrounded it and, above all, with some particular characteristics of Távora’s mindset regarding his own design practice. On examining the process, it becomes abundantly clear that the relationship between the developer, the supervisors, the architect and the builder was far from balanced. Fernando Távora submitted the preliminary project for approval in April 1993. From then until construction was completed, by the end of 1997, a myriad of problems arose during the natural development of the project: from delays in formalising the contract, to successive disagreements over the choices of materials, or even the attempt to include different elements from the approved project. Without any kind of concessions to the traditionalist way, Távora sets out on the 8 de Maio Square project — one of his dearest, in his own words — with full awareness that historical reposition is not something to be searched for, under the dust of a thousand circumstances, it is not something flexible that could be adapted to the occasion, under risk of losing its tie to the truth. Finally, we intend to reflect on the meaning of time and space limits in design practice and in the final result of architecture. The duration of a project, of a work, time itself, is not, never has been and never can be a condition for inclusion or exclusion in any category.

Keywords

• távora
• sansão square
• coimbra
• heritage
• urban design