TC Cuadernos 162: Nuno Brandão Costa. Architecture 2010 – 2023

This new monograph from TC Cuadernos brings us closer to the recent work of Portuguese architect Nuno Brandão Costa, one of the most interesting contemporary voices in Portuguese architecture.

This publication follows issue 90, which we released in 2009 featuring his early works, and now covers a period of intense creative activity and professional consolidation from 2010 to 2023.

It is a meticulous journey through fifteen selected works that demonstrate the maturity reached by this architect over the last decade. The works span various typologies and scales, from single-family homes to large complexes. Projects such as the Campanhã Intermodal Terminal and the rehabilitation of the S. João de Deus neighborhood are studied with special attention, showing how Brandão Costa has expanded his field of action towards large-scale urban projects without losing the artisanal quality of the details that characterize his most intimate residential interventions.

In all cases, his conceptual coherence, the harmonious relationship of his works with the landscape, and especially the masterful use of elementary geometries, refined volumes, and care for constructive details stand out.

Throughout its 338 pages, each project is exhaustively documented with texts, photographs, plans, and construction details, allowing the reader a deep understanding of the work.

The selection of images goes beyond the aesthetic, serving as a vehicle to convey the technical solidity and spatial sensitivity of the architect.

The publication is completed with three introductory essays by José Miguel Rodrigues, Nuno Grande, and Ricardo Meri & Clara Mejía, which help to conceptually frame Brandão Costa’s work.

In conclusion, this is an essential monograph to thoroughly understand the architecture of Nuno Brandão Costa and his contribution to the contemporary language. A rigorous and elegant publication, just like the work it documents.