LU.CA renovation wins Valmor Prize

LU.CA renovation wins Valmor Prize

The renovation of LU.CA – Teatro Luís de Camões, led by architects Manuel Graça Dias and Egas José Vieira, has won the Valmor Prize, one of the most important architecture awards in Portugal.

Awarded in 2018, the year the theatre reopened with its mission to programme for children and youths, the Valmor Prize recognised the rehabilitation envisioned by the duo of architects from the Contemporânea atelier. The renovation focused on the building of Teatro Luís de Camões, inaugurated in June 1880, which, according to some researchers, may have been constructed on the remnants of the Teatro de Belém (commissioned by King João V before the 1755 earthquake). The poor overall condition of the building required an extensive intervention, particularly in the stage area and administrative areas.

The jury for this edition of the Valmor Prize, which has been awarded for the past 122 years, was chaired by the Mayor of Lisbon and coordinated by the Councillor for Urban Planning, Joana Almeida. It included Laurentina Pereira from the Lisbon Municipality, Alberto Reaes Pinto from the National Academy of Fine Arts, Pedro Novo from the Architects’ Guild, and Jorge Mealha da Costa from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon. Ana Tostões, from Instituto Superior Técnico, also joined the jury, bringing her notable professional and academic background in contemporary architecture.

This year, the winners of the Valmor Prize for 2018, 2019, and 2020 were announced, alongside six honourable mentions (one of which was for the rehabilitation of Casa Fernando Pessoa, another facility managed by EGEAC). The jury reviewed over 700 projects completed in the three years under consideration.

In 2018, the LU.CA renovation had already been recognised with the National Urban Rehabilitation Prize in two categories: Social Impact and City of Lisbon.

(November 2024)