Moving Seascapes: The Architecture and Biology of Fishing and Canning on the Portuguese Coast

Abstract

When they fish, humans play an active part in the dynamics of marine ecosys-tems, and architecture is subsequently involved in the processing of their catch. Our goal is to develop the idea of Fishing Architecture as a useful concept for un-derstanding the interconnected relationship between architecture and fishing. By analysing the architectural and ecological outcomes of fisheries and canning industry, we will try to assess the complex relationship between human activities and environmental transformations. How can we represent the intricate relation-ship between the sea and the coast? This text seeks to state this hypothesis and incorporate ecological information into the analysis of the development of the sardine canning industry in Matosinhos. Based on the knowledge of marine ecology, we hope to find an original perspective from which to visualize and evaluate urban developments and their environmental impacts.