Reconstrução Digital Tridimensional de Quatro Quarteirões do Chiado no Século XVI: O Caso de Estudo de Vila Nova de Santa Catarina

April 28, 2026

This dissertation develops the three-dimensional digital reconstruction of four blocks of the Chiado district in their 16th-century configuration, based on studies conducted by the Gabinete de Estudos Olissiponenses (CML/GEO) and complementary historical documentation. The research seeks to understand the urban and architectural form of this fragment of the city through the analysis of iconographic, cartographic, and textual sources, as well as the study of surviving traces identifiable in the contemporary urban fabric. The three-dimensional modelling process, developed within a parametric environment, enabled the identification of discrepancies between sources, the recognition of morphological patterns not easily perceptible in plan, and the testing of formal interpretations where documentation was incomplete. The final model highlights the area’s topographical irregularity, discontinuities between levels, and the need to integrate inferred elements such as roofs, openings, annexes, and temporary structures, essential to the legibility of the reconstruction. The use of four levels of certainty made it possible to distinguish direct evidence from hypothetical reconstruction and typological analogy, ensuring traceability and scientific rigour. Validation meetings with the GEO contributed to refining volumetry, roof configurations, materials, and secondary elements, reinforcing the model’s consistency and reliability. Rather than presenting a definitive image of 16th-century Chiado, the reconstruction functions as a research tool that synthesises the available sources while exposing the gaps, contradictions, and uncertainties inherent to the study of pre-Pombaline Lisbon. The resulting model also serves as a prototype for future large-scale reconstructions and as a methodological contribution to the study of historical urban morphology.

Authors in the community:

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  L

  Luana Cristina Fernandes Pimenta

  ist1100628

Supervisors of this institution:

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  A

  Ana Paula Filipe Tomé

  ist24777

civil-engineering - Civil engineering

por - Portuguese

Instituto Superior Técnico