BRAND VIÚVA LAMEGO®
BRAND VIÚVA LAMEGO®
The production of tiles in Portugal dates back to the mid-sixteenth century. However, it was only in the nineteenth century that this industry was established. Brazil’s growing demand for Portuguese porcelain and tiles, ideal for protecting buildings from the hot and humid climate, led to the emergence of new ceramic factories throughout the country. Founded in Lisbon in 1849, VIÚVA LAMEGO® was one of the very first few. In the early days, the factory mainly produced utilitarian articles in red clay, tiles in white clay, and some faience. With the advent of the twentieth century, tiles became the main product of the Portuguese brand VIÚVA LAMEGO®. At the time the brand VIÚVA LAMEGO® already maintained a close connection with artists, with workshops placed conveniently at their disposal. Since the 1930s, one of the pillars of the brand VIÚVA LAMEGO® has been its collaboration with plastic artists who identified the creative potential in tiles. Visiting the factory, talking with the craftsmen, and actively participating in all phases of the projects, creators from different quarters contributed to the revitalisation of artistic ceramics in Portugal. From the moment that art began to find its place in public buildings, the relationship between architects and plastic artists narrowed. Today, the Masters of the brand VIÚVA LAMEGO® are called to contribute to innovative architectural projects by the likes of Siza Vieira, Souto Moura, and Rem Koolhaas – all Pritzker Prize winners. Notable examples featuring tiles produced by Viúva Lamego are Siza Vieira’s Portuguese Pavilion built for the Expo 98 and the underground metro stations of Baixa-Chiado (Lisbon) and S. Bento (Porto), which clearly demonstrate how contemporary architecture and tiles can complement each other. Such notable projects elevate tiles to the artistic plane. By enabling tile to serve as a mean for beautiful art, the brand VIÚVA LAMEGO® guarantees that tradition is maintained while renewing itself. The path walked by Siza Vieira, Cargaleiro, Erró, and others are being continued by a young generation of artists and architects who see in the tile a material to freely experiment, reinvent, and take risks. Creators with innovative ideas find in the brand VIÚVA LAMEGO® the knowledge of centuries of experience and an environment that fosters bold creations.
