CHOCOLATE UMBRELAS

STUC PIERRE

Private house in Rua do Heroísmo, Porto

STUCCO CEILING

The beautiful ceiling of our office in Rua do Almada, Porto.

ALFÂNDEGA DO PORTO

Part of the customs house in Porto with its massive cast iron doors and slender temple of the winds columns. The beam is a real I-Beam made of riveted metal plates. This would predate Post-Modernism by more than a century - except here, the scale is right. Tracks on the floor enabled carts to go around with the goods to be inspected or securely stored.

EVEN OLDER MONEY

The lost craft of designing paper money.

OLD MONEY

Whether you agree with the single currency or not, or believe in the Euro implosion based on mountains of debt and speculation, the moral conundrums of a transfer economy, etc etc there is no question the old money was incredibly richer (visually, alas) than the new. These were the last bills to be issued before the Euro came, in 1999.

ROMANTIC GARDEN

Near Palacio do Freixo, in Porto, we can visit one of the first romantic gardens in the city - the Quinta de Villar d'Allen, from the early 19t century. Although it's still in private property, the current owner, third generation from João d'Allen, will kindly open its doors to all visitors who are interested not only in seeing one of the most exotic gardens in Porto but also their world class camellia grove and nursery. In the photos above we can see the main facade with the french garden in front and a view from the garden, showing a flaming urn designed by the italian architect Nicolau Nasoni.

PORT WINE

very, very old port wine....

Quinta Villar d'Allen, Porto

STONE PAVEMENT DESIGN

Quinta de Villar d'Allen, Porto

BARROCAS

As the weather triumphs over the limestone, the Cross triumphs over the Dice in the church of Barrocas, Aveiro. Maybe there is some other meaning to the number on the faces of the die. But who knows, and who cares - this is as glorious a window as can be.

TRAIN STATION CLOCK

 

Pinhão Train Station.

All of Portugal's train stations were, at a time, designed in the same style with the same materials, and few regional variations. Tiles were used profusely which depicted local scenes, monuments, landscapes. A Portuguese train station was easily identified as a building type.

We don't know if this wonderful clock was as ubiquitous as the painted tiles on the walls, but its design has both a modern dial and a beaux-arts body. This softness of style, both traditional and functionalist, is not unlike the mix which makes most old Portuguese stuff.