The Otherness of Álvaro Siza: Vittorio Gregotti and the Sense of Place as Hypothesis for the Future

Abstract

This article investigates the profound and enduring intellectual relationship between two pivotal figures in European architectural culture, Vittorio Gregotti and Álvaro Siza, framed by the concept of Siza’s “otherness.” Gregotti was instrumental in introducing Siza to the international scene, starting with his 1972 article in Controspazio, establishing a critical matrix that interpreted Siza’s work through its distance from prevailing ideological and dogmatic trends. The paper traces the origins of this elective affinity back to the Italian-Luso-Iberian architectural meetings (Pequeños Congresos) of the 1960s, highlighting how Siza’s context-specific practice resonated with Gregotti’s critical position, particularly his focus on “anthropo-geography”. A central argument is the reciprocity between small and large scales, demonstrated by Siza’s design process, which uses drawing not merely as representation, but as a slow, multi-scalar tool to reveal the latent potential of a place. Gregotti promoted this perspective through exhibitions (Venice Biennale 1976, Milan 1979) and through his editorship of Casabella, notably by publishing Siza’s large-scale project for the Quinta da Malagueira in Évora, showcasing a concrete alternative to normative urbanism. Finally, the article explores Gregotti’s interpretation of the ideas of “tradition” and “foundations”. Siza’s architecture is presented as embodying a “critical distance” from reality - a search for the “hypothesis of the future” rooted in the empirical conditions of the context, rather than in abstract theory or historical consensus. Ultimately, the otherness of Siza, defended by Gregotti, affirmed architecture as a “project of critical dialogue” -a model of social commitment rooted in the reality rather than utopia.