| Description |
The Bank of Materials in Porto is founded by the City of Porto and is open to citizens and the general public. Its primary purpose is to acquire and safeguard materials which characterize Porto urban landscape, for future use and return to the city. Residents in need of repair of facades of their houses can acquire the needed or missing materials at the bank of materials free of charge. The materials are recollected from degraded buildings or when the buildings are re-adapted or demolished. The majority of collected materials represents the unique ceramic tiles (Oporto Azulejos), but they also collect other decorative elements, as well as stucco decorations, toponymic plaques, stone, iron or wooden architectural elements. |
| Description of the economic, social and environmental impacts of the project |
The preservation strategy of the bank is primarily to know the state of the building materials, and cataloguing them topologically, as well as identifying the places of original installations. This systematic study allows them to evaluate the “Oporto Azulejos” as having high cultural significance, with diverse patterns, designs, colours, the mode of application and the architectural context differentiating it. There how the safeguarded materials can be re-used appropriately in a new context and protecting the authentic urban landscape of Porto. To promote and to raise awareness of tile preservation, the Bank of Materials prepared a permanent exhibition of the most valuable pieces, carries out educational activities, guided tours, city tours, pedagogical workshops with schools, thematic workshops (cleaning of mortars), and so forth. |
