University of Aveiro………..flings yet another surprise at you

Just when you thought that the University of Aveiro had no more surprises left, it opens out its amazingly elegant library for you. As expected, the architect is the genius Álvaro Siza. Whilst designing this marvel, the architect looked into every aspect of the construction. Would this building dialogue with its natural surroundings? Yes it does, Architect Siza, used red brick and limestone to cover its external walls.
And then the façades? What should they speak of? Well, the Library presents different façades; each one has its own story to tell. The western façade, dialogues with the lagoon, with its weeping willows and roosting ducks. (The lagoon always has those ducks, snoozing, swimming vigorously, how I loved them.) A horizontal opening, on the second and third level, allows natural light to sweep in.
The southern façade on the other hand is completely constructed of limestone, with a platform in the shape of an elegant S. Carved on this platform as a puzzle are the words Universidade de Aveiro. The entrance is on this side. A ramp on the eastern side, leads directly to the first level.
But it is the lighting that takes your breath away, much attention and long hours must have been spent on how to light this beautiful library. No more dark corners, the lighting speaks of the youth and vibrancy of the University.
The central areas in the reading rooms are bathed from 24 clerestories in the ceiling. These magical circles reflect diffused daylight onto the lower floors, through large central voids. Vibrancy and dispersion of archaic ideas seems to be the idea of light being showered from above. No direct sunlight, light diffuses inside the building giving it a sense of unity.
The western façade is protected, from direct sunlight, by a free standing sleek, curved wall something like a lampshade. The intention is to allow the people sitting there to savour the magnificent view of the Salinas and the Lagoon stretching on to the horizon. Psssst, nobody sitting here studies, they just drink in the magnificent view. The professors are yet to discover the secret.
The picture like windows of the northern façade, illuminate the central area of the reading rooms on all the levels.
The entire library is pervaded by Light yet it is never harsh, never direct, the entire Library bathed in soothing light.
We were given a guided tour of the Library by a statuesque lady who in addition to being really beautiful had this mellifluous voice.
Of course, Herculano had to say to her, ‘Your husband is a very lucky man; he has a wife with the most beautiful voice’
Of course the lady blushed; of course she walked straighter and taller after a conversation with our very own Ambassador of good relations.
Just in case you are amazed at my knowledge of architecture, come on people would I know a word like ‘clerestories’? My inputs are from Laura Oliva Correia Lemos, Assessor Principal, biblioteca e documentação Universidade de Aveiro.

The University of Aveiro…..a breath of fresh air

Portugal is the home of one of the oldest universities in Europe, the University of Coimbra. University of Aveiro, our home away from home for three weeks, is a baby in comparison. However, much like anything new it carries with it a breath of fresh air, newness and the promise of new beginnings. Sometimes mustiness and fussiness of age old traditions has to swept away to bring in change and modernity. The University of Aveiro does just that, nothing of the old and archaic, it is the University of the young and the vibrant with maybe an old woman (Sonia) who partakes of this vibrancy just for a while.
As our very own, Professora Rosa Feneca explained to us, the University of Aveiro has many firsts to its credit; they were the ones to develop Sapo, the top national Internet search engine, and the PmatE a programme for teaching Maths and Sciences.
However, my visit to the PmatE Lab is not one of those memories I cherish. But what the hell let me get this shameful episode off my chest. After a heavy lunch, I wobbled over to the PmatE Laboratory. The Laboratory was buzzing with activity, crawling with mathematicians and programmers, nothing tidy, wires dangling all over the place. The programmers not even glancing at us and we do have some pretty ladies in our midst. Nada! They were not even aware of our presence. How could they be so blind and insensitive; here was Scarlet, a humming bird, cute and tiny, dressed to kill, haute couture. Maureen, tall and stately not a hair out of place. Sara, those dazzling eyes and the bright smile and Maria Helena, those skinny jeans and the flapper haircut. And Sonia, did anyone see her…
Anyway, a bearded genial giant of a man, Professor António José Batel Anjo, explained to us gently, slowly, with great kindness reserved for those who will take a long time to understand the work in the PmatE Laboratory. Do I blame him, no, but sorry Prof Anjo, we are Linguists, sabemos muito mesmo a cerca de Garrett, Eça, Pessoa, o nosso Matias pode recitar Os Lusíadas. Herculano tem a sua própria epopeia.
Afternoon, after a heavy meal of bacalhau, arroz, salada e fruta, it was time for a nap, at least for me, and there was the genial Professor Anjo droning on about teaching Maths. Slowly as if commanded by one of Prof. Anjo’s many robots, my head drooped lower and lower and I was pleasantly falling asleep, when suddenly the voice of reason and panic gripped me. WAKE UP, le Hottie , Bosco, is watching you. Was he grinning? Did he see me? I did wake up with a start, wiped the drool surreptitiously and tried to pay attention, but sadly I cannot recall a thing. I do have a pencil and a nice pad from my afternoon at PmatE Laboratory.
We leave those ‘pesad’ robotics and Maths for the programmers who did not pay any attention to our beautiful ladies.
The architecture at the University of Aveiro is very modern, designed by a number of famous Portuguese architects. Although every aspect of the University is sleek and modern some of the structures stand out for their sheer beauty and elegance.
Take the case of the Depósito de Água, for me a water tank is a Black, Syntex, better known as Plastic Tank, sitting atop a functional column, or a huge concrete tank on concrete pillars.
But the Depósito de Água, at the University of Aveiro takes an entirely different look at elegance, you stretch your neck and wonder,’ How did the architect think of this.’
Quoting directly from the Blog http://arqiua.blogs.ua.sapo.pt
“Com a altura de cerca de 30 metros, a torre do depósito de água perfila-se bem acima do conjunto, em torno da Galeria, de que é signo recortado no céu, mas também marcação do seu final frente aos húmidos que envolvem o braço da ria que separa a zona de Santiago da zona da Agra do Castro. A caixa apresenta-se na evidência de um paralelepípedo, mas o suporte foi concebido diferentemente, pois é constituído por uma lâmina complanar com o lado menor do paralelepípedo e por um cilindro. A primeira relaciona directamente a torre com o conjunto da Galeria, pois alinha-se com o plano das fachadas dos edifícios do seu lado nordeste e o segundo é simultaneamente uma coluna e a expressão de uma conduta.”
The brilliant architect is Álvaro Siza.

Another breathtaking place on the Campus is the Pedestrian Bridge, the Ponte Pendonal Sul Torrente São Pedro. This bridge is built over swampy lands whose vegetation is totally different from anything you see otherwise. A walk cross this lengthy bridge envelops you in silence, at your feet strange plants, multicoloured birds chatter softly. A strange and a mysterious world difficult to encounter anywhere else, a far cry from the urban world, the neatly manicured parks with their splashy fountains to be seen in every city. Here the wild beauty of the swamps is shown in its full splendour. This ambitious project is the design of the architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça, JLCG. This simple yet elegant bridge leads to the Cantina de Castro and Casa do Estudante (sede da AAUAv) .
Quoting from his own site, http://europaconcorsi.com/projects/16361-Ponte-Pedonale-Sul-Torrente-S-o-Pedro. I reproduce without any changes or alterations.
‘Trata-se de uma comprida estrutura (330 m), que atravessa o canal de água como uma viga em treliça, construída a partir de tubos metálicos e apoiada de 35 em 35 metros. A sua localização foi pensada para, visualmente, ficar orientada, a norte, com o depósito de água de Álvaro Siza (que marca a eixo da Alameda, o final do primeiro troço do campus), encontrando, perpendicularmente, a margem sul.Os tubos são muito esbeltos (14×12,5 cm de secção) e a escolha de JLCG, ao pintá-los de preto, adelgaça-os ainda mais, dissolvendo a potente estrutura no mundo das sombras das árvores e canaviais que bordejam o esteiro a transpor. O jogo de triangulações é subtilmente variado, constituindo um ritmo que se sente no sereno desenvolvimento da peça mas que, à primeira vista, quase nos remete para um estrelado acidental e não sistematizado. Um tabuleiro, em betuminoso, é o piso, pontuado a meio por focos embutidos, de desenho industrial. Uma guarda metálica, também pintada de negro, marca-nos o interior do passadiço. Há ainda as ancoragens, já que, devido à diferença de cotas, a ponte se desfaz, no encontro com as margens, através de escadas forradas a pedra calcária. A atenção às bicicletas é pretexto, então, para duas rampas que, de um e do outro lado, colam a ponte ao terreno, segundo o ângulo de ataque mais apropriado. A norte, criando um braço lateral à ponte; a sul, de um modo mais complexo, já que o tabuleiro chega muito abaixo da cota de saída, com uma escada a virá-lo para nascente e a rampa, como uma sobra aposta, crescendo a poente, e ajudando as bicicletas a vencer o desnível.’
There are of course many more beautiful places on the Campus of the Universidade de Aveiro, but these two stand out in my mind, for their sheer ingenuity.