A volume that offers a fine selection of photographs and graphics in an overview of work that permits an understanding of the poetics and commitment of one of the protagonists of contemporary architecture in Portugal.
[Gonçalo Byrne. Works and projects] Gonçalo Byrne (born in 1941) is one of the protagonists of the extraordinary period of Portuguese architecture since the fall of the dictatorial regime that oppressed the country until 1974. His work combines the most characteristic features of a design culture that has absorbed the lessons of contemporary architecture without betraying the local tradition and a serious commitment to modernization of the country. Looking through the works and projects presented in this volume – accompanied by a fine selection of photographs and graphics – one can observe the consistency that makes Byrne’s work a model for young architects and for all those who think of design as a complex, hazardous exercise aimed at protecting architecture from the threat of empty stylistic trends.