Eduardo Souto de Moura

Eduardo Souto de Moura is one of Portugal’s most distinguished architects, known for an approach that merges modernist clarity with a deep sensitivity to place, material, and tradition. His architecture is characterized by restraint, precision, and a poetic understanding of context.

Whether working on private residences, public institutions, or urban infrastructure, Souto de Moura consistently employs a vocabulary of simplicity and strong material presence—granite, concrete, steel, and wood—used with a refined, tactile sensibility.

The projects featured in this publication span over three decades and illustrate a development from regional modernism toward increasingly complex and sculptural forms. Highlights include the stadium in Braga, carefully integrated into a former quarry, the Burgo Tower in Porto, a dialogue between two volumes that mediate between city and landscape, and the Paula Rego Museum, whose bold geometric forms evoke both monumentality and intimacy. Each project reflects a commitment to architectural integrity, rigorous detailing, and an intense dialogue with the existing environment.

Also examined are Souto de Moura’s engagement with architectural heritage, his nuanced reinterpretations of vernacular traditions, and his ability to infuse contemporary architecture with a sense of timelessness. The publication contextualizes his work within a broader architectural discourse, while also tracing recurring motifs in his practice: the use of repetition and variation, the interplay of light and mass, and a consistent pursuit of formal and material balance. Through a combination of drawings, photographs, and critical reflections, the book offers a comprehensive look into a body of work that bridges the local and the universal.