Raúl Hestnes Ferreira, the time span of an architectural archive

Abstract

The article intends to demonstrate the challenges that an architectural archive faces in order to render records accessible to the public, focusing the analysis on the specific collection of Raúl Hestnes Ferreira. The various occasions when the records were consulted have been justified in the article. This began with the development of my doctoral studies, through to the post-doctoral fellowship in 2015, having had the privilege of visiting the architect’s studio between 2007 and 2018. Following his death in February 2018, all records were donated by his family and integrated into the Marques da Silva Foundation (FMS). Since this date, I have collaborated with the FMS in the identification and organization of this collection. If the statement that archives are the documentary by-product of human activity retained for the long-term value holds true, the value of the Raúl Hestnes Ferreira collection is unquestionable for the understanding of Portuguese architecture and our identity as a country.