Uploaded on 2020-03-07 by Melissa Almeida

In this picture, we can see the interaction between old buildings and a new one (from Pedra Líquida architects). The new building also contains an intervention in a ruin. There, we can see the traditional use of stone in the old buildings, a local material that represents the granitic soils of Oporto city and that was used for economic reasons and ease of transportation. The use of stone and wood was a tradition in Portugal and were local materials. Stone was used for the main structure of the building and wood was mainly used for interior walls. The nature of soils also explains the use of a particular material. In the North, granitics soils and ,in the south, limestone and clay. Also, the 1755 earthquake in Lisbon, explains the use of wood in the whole structure of buildings, due to its flexibility properties. Being Oporto in the North of Portugal, the use of stone in the past buildings is evident. Back to the photography, the new building made in reinforced concrete reflects globalization in the use of building materials since iron is not local and probably comes from Chaves, a city near Spain, 200 km away.