Catarina Geraldes


c.geraldes@campus.fct.unl.pt

Research Summary

The international appreciation of Portuguese tiles (azulejos) has been spurred by the acknowledgement of their integration in Baroque architecture as a unique heritage and by the continued use of painted azulejos that span to modern days. The technology of manufacture, the forms of decay and the materials and techniques for restoration have been studied for pre-20th century azulejos. However, such studies did not include modernist azulejos, manufactured after the second world war (1945-1975).
The aim of this project is to study modernist azulejos in Portugal, mainly those applied during the Estado Novo period (1945-1974). Their production techniques, characteristics, forms of degradation and methods of conservation will be studied, thus expanding the current knowledge by integrating new information with analytical data. By the end of this project, it will be possible to propose restoration methods to be used in future interventions on 20th century Portuguese azulejos, to pass on this heritage to future generations.

PhD Project title: Conservation of modernist Portuguese azulejos.

Supervisors: João Manuel Mimoso (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, LNEC, Portugal), Alexandre Nobre Pais (Museu Nacional do Azulejo, MNAz, Portugal), Augusta Moniz Lima (VICARTE, DCR FCT-UNL, Portugal)