ABSTRACT
Souto de Moura (Porto 1952) has a unique career that reveals a singular approach to disciplinary themes and shows a high plastic and aesthetic expression. The way he relates to tradition, recreating it in innovative syntheses since his first works, caught the attention to his relevance as an architect and has contributed to deepening the debate on architecture. Due to its essential clarity yet complexity, Mercado Municipal de Braga (Municipal Market of Braga 1980–1984) is a fundamental project in the context of his works. Although it is a seminal project, it reveals unusual maturity and shows many principles that Souto de Moura would adopt and develop afterward.
Souto de Moura designed a proposal that reflects his own choices in his own time. Above all, his answer goes beyond the references and local context, without denying them. He believes in the permanence of the architectural forms, including the Modern Movement, and has no vernacular concerns. Indeed, there is no nostalgia in his architecture, and for him, expressiveness and effectiveness are achievable with realism through a complex process. The innovative synthesis he achieved in Braga deals with artisanal techniques (which were still possible in Portugal, in detailing and construction) while evoking modern references. In sum, whilst Souto de Moura is an innovative architect, he is also committed to an idea of architecture, which is deeply rooted in life, culture, and context.
