IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A
Abstract
This presentation, situated within the socio-cultural and historical context of Lisbon, examines the architectural design work of Aurora Architects, specifically through a selection of their projects located in the city. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of context—understood in its multiple dimensions—as a critical operative instrument in the architectural design process. Rather than serving merely as a backdrop, Lisbon emerges as a central case study through which broader architectural and urban questions are interrogated. The city’s distinctive character—shaped by the ongoing negotiation between historical continuity and contemporary transformation—renders it especially relevant for a critical exploration of building rehabilitation practices. In focusing on interventions within structures emblematic of Lisbon’s principal historical construction typologies, this presentation draws on locally embedded insights while simultaneously engaging with wider disciplinary perspectives.
Sérgio Antunes (Lisbon, 1977) is an architect graduated from Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa and Università della Svizzera Italiana – Accademia di Architettura, Mendrisio (2003). He worked at Helena Botelho’s studio between 2001 and 2004. In 2003, he co-founded the collective Kaputt!, where he participated in and coordinated various projects in architecture, furniture design, graphic design, and installation. In 2010, he co-founded 18:25 Empreiteiros Digitais with Luca Martinucci, a laboratory dedicated to the construction of architectural imagery. That same year, he also founded the studio Aurora Arquitectos with Sofia Couto, which he continues to lead today. He served as Vice-President of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Section of the Portuguese Architects’ Association during the 2020–2023 term and is currently a member of its Assembly of Delegates. Since 2019, he has been an Invited Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Urbanism at ISCTE-IUL and the coordinator of the Lisbon overseas studio of the University of Western Australia. He is also currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale.
9:45 am - 10:45 am
Wednesday 9th July, 2025