The Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, is hosting the exhibition “Portuguese Bridges: A Tribute to Edgar Cardoso”, inaugurated on 25 June at the Civil Engineering Museum, Alameda campus. The exhibition will be open until 22 December 2026.
The inauguration took place as part of the 7th Congress of the International Federation for Structural, organised by the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment (DECivil) at Técnico, from 15 to 19 July.
The idea to organise an exhibition revisiting the work of Edgar Cardoso, a civil engineer and former professor at Técnico, came from Júlio Appleton, also a former professor at Técnico. Describing Edgar Cardoso as “the most notable engineer” in the field of concrete structures, he argues that it is important “not to lose the memory of those who have, in fact, made a significant contribution to the country”.
Júlio Appleton, who curated the exhibition drawn from his private collection, explained that the compilation is the result of decades of work. “Over the course of the 55 years as an engineer and the 40 years I spent here as a professor, I have been gathering this material because I am interested in the history of construction and the history of concrete”, he said.
Regarding the process that led to the project, the former professor highlighted Rui Luz’s collaboration, who was responsible for the design and much of the logistical work. “The project began back in January; we’ve put three or four months’ work into this”, he explained. Júlio Appleton thanked Jorge Proença and Albano Sousa, both professors at the DECivil, for their collaboration and logistical support.
Besides showcasing the evolution of civil engineering in Portugal, Júlio Appleton also emphasises the educational aspect of the exhibition. “It will be interesting for final-year mechanical engineering students to visit the exhibition. I will be available to accompany them; I will be delighted to do so”, he said.
David Pires, a final-year civil engineering master’s student, found out about the exhibition through social media. “It’s interesting to see how bridges used to be built; it’s nothing like what we learn nowadays; it’s completely different”, he said.
In his view, the contact with “real things” makes the exhibition more interesting, highlighting the 3D models and machinery used back then. “I found it very interesting and I believe many students would be interested in visiting this exhibition”, he concluded.
For Pedro Sereno, a Técnico alumnus and a civil engineer at Concremat, a precast concrete company that collaborated on the exhibition, it was a “pleasure” to contribute to an initiative organised by Técnico. As a visitor, he praised the “very comprehensive collection of items”, highlighting the photographic records and watercolour paintings, which “are truly out of the ordinary”. “The professor managed to bring together, document and present all this knowledge in an interesting way”, he noted.
The exhibition brings together drawings, photographs, models, medals and film footage of the construction of some of Portugal’s most notable structures. It is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., except during August.
