Inês Carneiro, architect at Ventura + Partners, wins the 2026 Fernando Távora Prize

The architect will travel across the Atacama Desert in Chile to study astronomical observatories as meeting points between architecture and physics.

Inês Carneiro, architect at Ventura + Partners, has won the 22nd edition of the Fernando Távora Prize, awarded by the Northern Regional Section of the Portuguese Order of Architects. Unanimously selected from 28 applications, her proposal, “Architectures of the Cosmos: Interface with Physics”, receives a €6,000 grant for a research trip. The winner was announced on 12 October in the Noble Hall of Matosinhos City Hall.

The proposal focuses on the astronomical observatories of the Atacama Desert, some of the most advanced in the world. The itinerary includes ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array), the Cerro Dominador solar complex, ESO’s Very Large Telescope at Paranal, ESO’s La Silla Observatory and the Elqui Valley Dark Sky Reserve. The aim is to examine how these structures reconcile technological demands and constructive rigour with an exceptional location. The desert itself is part of this architecture, through its vastness, its thin air and its darkness, which Inês Carneiro described as “an increasingly scarce resource on the planet”.

The jury highlighted the humanist and philosophical dimension of the proposal, which views observatories not only as scientific instruments, but also as an expression of humanity’s desire to understand our origins and our place in the universe.

From the Alentejo to the Atacama

Inês Carneiro’s interest in the subject began in Portugal: “My interest in this subject started on a trip I took to the Alentejo, to the local astronomical observatories. That same year, I began writing my master’s dissertation on the topic,” she said.

What fascinates her about these buildings is the dual nature of their function: technical and scientific, but also philosophical and humanist. Since rudimentary structures such as Stonehenge, humanity has always built structures to observe the sky. “Although today’s astronomical observatories are highly advanced in construction and technology, representing the greatest futurisms of contemporary architecture and engineering, they still ask the same question as primitive man: where do we come from?” Inês Carneiro asks.

Hence the choice of the Atacama. “The Atacama observatories interest me particularly because they are among the most advanced in the world, housing the largest telescopes with cutting-edge optics, technology and building automation,” explained the Ventura + Partners architect.

Architecture of rigour: from hospitals to stages and observatories

The choice of subject builds on the architect’s professional path. At Ventura + Partners, Inês Carneiro works on large-scale, technically demanding projects, particularly in healthcare. Alongside this, she works in music festival production, where she oversees the layout and installation of large structures such as stages.

“I have a certain fascination with buildings that have a very defined and rigorous function, which I associate with a kind of techno-architecture. These are buildings where form is closely tied to function and, for that reason, designing them requires technical knowledge of the field in question,” Inês Carneiro emphasised. “Whether we’re talking about hospitals, stages or observatories, these are architectures of great functional rigour, where technique, technology and form come together,” she added.

From the trip, she hopes to gain first-hand knowledge on the ground. “I want to understand, in practice, how the intersections between architecture, technology, engineering and physics play out in the design of these rare buildings. My hope is to bring back some lessons on how architecture should respond to extreme technical demands,” the architect said.

About Fernando Távora Prize

Created in honour of the architect Fernando Távora, the prize annually recognises a proposal for an architectural research trip. It is organised by the Northern Regional Section of the Portuguese Order of Architects, in partnership with Matosinhos City Council, Casa da Arquitectura and the Marques da Silva Foundation, and is sponsored by Ageas Seguros. This year’s jury was chaired by chef Rui Paula and included architects Andrea Soutinho, Pedro Ramalho, António Cerejeira Fontes and Pedro Távora de Magalhães Bastos.