Tiago Quadros Architect | Dialogues to share knowledge about the city, ‘insights into the future’

Tiago Saldanha Quadros, a Macau-based architect and a visiting professor at the University of St Joseph, is launching a book that explores ways to build a better city. “Macau Sessions. Dialogues on Architecture and Society” will be launched on October 10 in Albergue SCM, as part of a larger event organized by the non-­profit cultural organization Babel, (see article below). The English-language book consists of interviews conducted with nine figures in the fields of architecture and urbanism, which examine the key issues and ambitions underscoring Macau’s  growth.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – What ideas lay behind the creation of this book?
Tiago Saldanha Quadros (TSQ) – We started the creative process behind this book back in 2013 and our goal was to collect, archive and share existing knowledge about Macau in the field of architecture and urbanism. This work was done from a contemporary perspective and reflected the growth of the territory in the last few decades. The interview-­style format that comprises its structure is exactly to do with the idea of dialogue, since dialogue, by definition, allows the sharing of thoughts and ideas in a very short time. It was inspired by Hans-Ulrich Obrist, a Swiss art curator that has been developing work that he calls “Interview Project”. This book follows exactly this methodology, gathering nine “talks” with people with different backgrounds, experiences and expertise.

MDT – What is the target audience for this book?
TSQ – The book is built in a way that its content, although complex, is accessible to a wide range of people. Using the English language for the text was also a way of widening the field. In Macau, we find people from very different places and the English language becomes a simple way of communicating between these people.
Naturally, all these interviewees are researchers and scholars who have worked on science-based projects, but we think that more than sharing all this work with the local scientific community, we want to share it with all citizens. It is also important to add that this book is illustrated with images from the young photographer and artist Ieong Man Pan that were all completed specifically for  the book and to communicate with readers once they have investigated the topics.

MDT – Is it also a reflection on what has been done in this field in a way of encouraging the planning of the future?
TSQ – Of course that dimension is there.  This compilation is not a mere collection of scientific work, although that is also important, since most of the time, all these research findings are scattered around the world.  Above all however, these nine participants shared concerns about the present situation of the territory and shed new insights into  the future.  That is very important.

MDT – Lately we have been seeing an apparent growth in interest for these topics. We have heard about the requalification of the Inner Harbor area and the Hotel Estoril revamp, among other issues. Does this book address any of these topics?
TSQ – It aims to promote a broader view of the city and territory so it is not exactly focused on particular aspects. Instead, the opinions expressed by the researchers, can also be incorporated into the discussion of those topics. I can give you the example of the work of the Professor Werner Breitung, that specializes in the problem of the “borderlines” and “city limits”, addressing the inner harbor facing the cross-border neighbor Zhuhai and the need of both areas to relate in a different way.

MDT – Where can the book be bought?
TSQ – It will be launched on Saturday as part of a wider program called the Macau Architecture Promenade.  It will then be made available at several local bookshops, including the Portuguese bookshop and others, namely the ones that offer English-language books. RM