Professor António Lamas, retired Técnico professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources (DECivil) received a special mention from the jury of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra 2021 Awards in the “Dedicated Service to Heritage by Organisations & Individuals” category.
Europa Nostra website highlights “António Ressano Garcia Lamas has a long history of dedicated service to heritage. The positive results of Mr. Lamas’ extensive career are evident in his appointments to administer some of the most important public institutions responsible for heritage in Portugal: as Director-General of the Portuguese Institute for Cultural Heritage and as Chairman of the state-owned company Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, which cares for the state properties in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cultural Landscape of Sintra. The Jury greatly appreciated Mr. Lamas’ contribution to bringing innovation and research to heritage. The Jury recognised how Mr. Lamas inspired more intensive conservation policies and strategies towards the intersections between old and new, and the adoption of protective measures to prevent deterioration caused by large numbers of visitors. They also noted his success in stimulating public attention and interest in history, in issues surrounding environmental sustainability and in best practices for the protection and valorisation of historical gardens and parks”.
“I am very pleased and honoured to be recognised by the most important European institution responsible for Heritage – Europa Nostra”.
The award winners were announced on 25th May, at an online event that was attended by the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, and the Executive President of Europa Nostra, Hermann Parzinger.
After professor António Lamas graduated in Civil Engineering from Técnico in 1969, he went to the University of London to do a PhD in Structural Engineering. “British people protect and value their cultural heritage, and created institutions specifically for that purpose, which is quite different from the situation in Portugal”, recalls the Técnico alumnus.
In 1985, professor António Lamas created the first postgraduate courses on conservation of historic buildings and centres, at Técnico, “open to engineers, architects, landscape architects, archaeologists and historians, which resulted in diplomas of advanced studies and a master’s degree (until 2004)”, says the Técnico alumnus.
Professor António Lamas was president of the Portuguese Institute for Cultural Heritage and Junta Autónoma de Estradas / Instituto de Estradas de Portugal. From 2006 to 2014 he was the Chairman of the Board of Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua. He was president of Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB) from 2015 and 2016.
“I carried out my duties with great commitment and pleasure. I had successes and failures, and I received, on several occasions, public recognition for my contributions to Portuguese cultural heritage”, stresses Professor António Lamas.
In 2014, professor António Lamas received the commendation of Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, awarded by the President of the Republic; the Silver Medal of Tourist Merit (2009) and the Gold Medal of Sintra Municipality (2012), delivered by Sintra City Hall, in recognition of his work at Parques de Sintra.
