Bio Azulejos. Image © Jeremy Morris
Share
Or
https://www.archdaily.com/1033393/reimagining-lisbons-azulejos-regenerative-biomaterial-tiles-from-the-tagus-river
All materials come from somewhere, embedded in a chain of extraction, supply, production, and disposal that, depending on its scale, leaves more or less significant marks on the environment. In architecture, we usually approach this trajectory through the lens of materials’ circularity, considering how they can re-enter production cycles rather than become waste. Yet, broadening our view to unexpected places reveals parallel systems where by-products from one industry become resources for another. This approach has found fertile ground in organic waste transformed into biomaterials, with one of the most recent examples being the work of Fahrenheit 180º. Through their installation, “From the Tagus to the Tile”, they repurpose oyster shells initially discarded by food systems to create a reinterpretation of Lisbon’s iconic tiles.
Embodying cultural memory and ecological consciousness, the installation was developed during the 2024 Radical Waters – Concrete Matters residency and later presented in the gardens of the Gulbenkian Center of Modern Art in Lisbon, comprising three sculptural pieces: a modular kitchen, a bench, and a linear table. Designed by Swiss architect Jeremy Morris and Portuguese-Swiss architect Luca Carlisle, the project explores material practices that move beyond extractive systems, seeking methods that repair and regenerate both ecological and social fabrics. Through this work, they advocate for bioregional thinking and draw renewed attention to the overlooked legacy of oyster farming in the Tagus estuary, a once-thriving practice disrupted by industrialization.
