Classical Architecture in Portugal: A Student’s Perspective – João Batista

João Batista - House in the North of Portugal

Classical Architecture in Portugal: A Student’s Perspective – João Batista

Tradition does not have to mean reproducing the past, and classical architecture need not be regarded merely as a relic of bygone eras. João Batista, an architecture student with a particular interest in classical architecture, believes in the potential of architectural tradition to shape the future of our built environment. In this interview, he discusses his inspirations, offers a critical perspective on contemporary architecture in Portugal, reflects on the revival of classical and traditional design, and considers the role these architectural languages could play in shaping the cities of tomorrow.

Piotr Gadomski: In 2021, you graduated in Art History from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Porto. Do you think that contemporary architects should have a broader knowledge of art history and architectural history?

João Batista: In my opinion contemporary architects would benefit immensely from a deeper, more rigorous understanding of art and architectural history. During my time studying Art History at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities - University of Porto (FLUP), I noticed a recurring disconnect in modern architectural practice, where it often treats history as a distant gallery of bygone styles rather than an active, continuous repository of proportion, tectonic logic, and spatial vocabulary. Most of the architectural past is viewed as a straightjacket, instead of a toolbox, besides Modernism.

When talking with architects during those years of my life, I quickly realised that way of thinking and double-standard came from their formation years. And when architecture discards most of its historical foundations and cherry picks some, it risks producing works that are indifferent to context, scale, and human intuition. Understanding how Humanity has solved problems of light, climate, massing, and ornament, enables architects to design with greater intelligence and nuance.

Portugal has an exceptionally rich architectural heritage. Which periods or styles in the history of Portuguese architecture are closest to your heart, and why? 

It’s very hard for me to pick a favourite period or style from the wide and diverse catalog of Portuguese heritage. From the traditional/vernacular, adapted perfectly to regional topographies and microclimates from the Minho to the Algarve, or the more erudite constructions of the Renaissance, Baroque or Neoclassicism, there is simply too much I love to single out.   

I think it’s best I dodge your question a bit and share with you instead my favourite Portuguese architect, Raul Lino. I won’t go into detail about his life or approach to architecture, just that he has been my inspiration ever since I discovered him. 

How did your interest in new buildings designed in the classical and traditional styles begin? 

My passion for architecture was always there according to my parents, but it was during my highschool days at Soares dos Reis (an artistic school in Porto), that I started developing my aesthetic senses and what to make of the world as it was. When I started developing designs for jewelry in high school, I was very interested in Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts movement at the time, but I was always faced by opposition from my teachers saying they were too ornate and not minimalistic enough. Then I started paying more attention to how poor quality design had become, be it furniture or other areas, and with time my eyes gravitated naturally to our new built environment and how soulless it had become. 

In a way, that discouraged me from going into architecture in university, as walking through downtown Porto growing up, I was immersed in a city with beautiful buildings with a sense of warmth, strong identity, and permanence, so I took such qualities for granted in a way and never really paid attention to how cheap new construction was. But I also saw an opportunity to show we can do and build better, be it in new places or preexisting ones. 

During my years at FLUP taking Art History, I began researching alternatives to the default option, that in my opinion, fits in the category of Neo-Modernism, while others have called it different names, be the Bloques Cebra or the Boxism Movement, I think we can all picture in our heads something dreadful and monotonous. I didn’t go for New Traditional Architecture or New Classicism right away, but it was the logical conclusion and still seems to me to be, as we are faced with various crisis, be it environmental or economical, our times ask for time proven answers that provide results based on longevity and popularity, not experiments and abstract concepts more focused in trying to paint an ephemeral moment of a zeitgeist than giving us solutions. 

With time I discovered the contemporary classical movement, architects like Leon Krier, Quinlan Terry, and Robert A.M. Stern. Realizing that classical design was not merely an artifact of the past, but a living, viable language being practiced today, transformed my perspective and gave me hope. It proved that we do not have to accept alienating, depressing and discartable pseudo-architeture as an inevitable feature of modernity.   

João Batista - Study for a 9 story multi-family building with comercial spaces, 2026

Can a growing interest in the revival of classical and traditional architecture be observed in Portugal? Have any new buildings designed in these styles been built in recent years? 

The revival is gaining momentum globally, and while Portugal's architectural scene has long been dominated by modernism and its dogmas, there is an unmistakable shift in public sentiment. The public is increasingly expressing a preference for human-scaled, context-sensitive, and traditionally detailed built environments over aggressive, placeless modern interventions. Recent years have seen strong rehabilitation efforts in historical areas of cities that had been neglected for years, with even high-end residential restorations that rebuild classical interiors and façades using traditional techniques. While large-scale civic projects or big multi-family projects using Classical or Traditional idioms are non-existent in Portugal, traditional urban infill and classical residential designs have been making their presence since the 1990s with architects like José Baganha or Alberto Castro Nunes and António Maria Braga.  

You recently began studying architecture as well. What motivated you to make this decision? Do you see yourself pursuing a professional career in building design? 

Studying Art History provided me with a strong theoretical and historical framework, but I continually felt the urge to translate that knowledge into physical space due to my artistic side. Luckily I had a wonderful opportunity after finishing university, as I began working as a draughtsman at AGCS Arquitectos, where I was taught everything and participated in New Classical projects overseas, but legally I could never sign anything. So I enrolled in university again, this time in a masters in architecture. I fully intend to practice as a professional building designer. My goal is to bridge the gap between what many are asking for and the inability of the profession to comply to such demands.  

How does the Portuguese architectural community view the design of new buildings in the classical style? Do you encounter acceptance or rather criticism of this type of architecture? 

The contemporary Portuguese architectural establishment—heavily influenced by the celebrated Escola do Porto (Porto School) and figures like Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, remains largely committed to modernist and minimalist paradigms. Proposals for new classical buildings are often met with skepticism or dismissive accusations of "pastiche" and "historicism", driven by a persistent dogma that every era must invent an entirely new visual language, despite the fact that very little has changed over the last 40 to 50 years in regards to the dominant design language. However, younger generations and clients are becoming far more open-minded, as well as aware of the hypocrisy and arrogance of too many that represent the architectural establishment. As conversations around sustainability, local craftsmanship, and urban character intensify, the ideological resistance to traditional design is beginning to soften into constructive debate, even within professionals. 

How would you assess contemporary architecture being built in Portugal? 

Portugal is home to two of the most popular architects in the world, however, on a broader scale, contemporary construction frequently falls short, be it in beauty or construction quality. Much of the new construction across Portugal relies on generic glass, concrete, and composite panels that lack proportions, rhythm or any connection to the place and it’s climate. Furthermore, modern synthetic materials often age poorly under the Iberian sun and coastal humidity, requiring high maintenance compared to time-tested local stone, timber, and traditional renders, maintenance that rarely happens in our culture, mainly due to economical difficulties. 

João Batista - Piazza counter proposal for Oporto historical center.

How would you like cities to look 20–30 years from now? Do you see a greater role for classical and traditional architecture in the future? 

I envision cities that prioritize human dignity, walkability, visual harmony, and environmental resilience. We need to move away from isolated "object" buildings toward coherent, well-proportioned street fronts characterized by enclosed squares, active ground floors, and human-scaled height limits. Furthermore, cities should rely on locally sourced materials that age gracefully over centuries rather than materials designed to be replaced in a decade, especially and almost everything in the construction sector is fossil fuel dependent. Classical and traditional architecture will play an indispensable role in achieving this vision, providing the time-tested framework needed to create places that people genuinely love and care to preserve. 

Do you think contemporary classical architecture can be more than simply reproducing  historical forms? How should the architectural tradition be creatively developed in the 21st century? 

Classical architecture is a dynamic language, not a static museum exhibit as many think or were taught to think. New Classicism was never about blindly copying historical buildings, it was and is about applying enduring principles and forms to modern needs. This means integrating modern structural engineering, high-performance insulation, and renewable energy systems seamlessly within traditional structural envelopes. It also demands respecting local materials, craftsmanship, and climatic demands rather than applying a generic template, while adapting classical proportions and ordering systems to serve contemporary building functions, from a simple home, to modern residential apartments or complex public infrastructure. With time more architects will appear that use Classical cannons and other various languages in their own distinctive way, like Léon Krier or Craig Hamilton, which will make them stand out, but I don’t think that is that important in the grand scheme of things, as we have other priorities before focusing on “creating new styles”. 

By treating tradition as a living dialogue between past wisdom and present innovation, something natural until the Second World War, contemporary classical architecture offers a sustainable, beautiful, and deeply human path forward.

Thank you for the interview, and I wish you all the best!