Alvaro Negrello

Scale model maker

©Nicolao Negrello

Architectural rigour and beauty

Alvaro’s architectural models are recognised as works of art
A visit to EPFL in Lausanne changed his professional path
Architects entrust Alvaro with transforming their design

Alvaro Negrello has lived in Portugal for over 30 years with his Angolan-Portuguese wife and their two sons. His charming accent when he speaks Portuguese reveals his Italian roots and upbringing in the Italian-speaking Swiss canton of Ticino. He set out to study geometric engineering but a casual visit with friends to the architecture workshops of Lausanne's federal institute of technology, EPFL, changed his path forever. He eventually moved to Porto, which had a rich architectural scene in the early 90s, and set up his own workshop making architectural models. Alvaro now works with Pritzker Prize architects Eduardo Souto de Moura, Siza Vieira and other global architects who seek his professionalism, aesthetic rigour, precision and innovation.

Interview

©Nicolao Negrello

What skills are needed for model making?: You definitely need to have a rigorous mind because precision is very important. But you also need to be sensitive to aesthetics. Everything around me needs to be beautiful – the workshop, even the pen I use needs to be beautiful. Only then I can work.
How important is innovation in your work?: It is crucial and one of my key assets because I am always a step ahead in terms of innovation. I experiment with different materials. I also invest in machines, but they are old machines that I restore and use according to my needs.
Did you train under any masters?: I am really self-taught. However, my first employer in Switzerland taught me rigour. Then my architect friend Antonio Portugal, no longer with us, helped me sharpen my aesthetic eye in the early days by showing me around buildings in Porto.
Would you consider your architectural models works of art?: Well, they are all unique with a focus on details and aesthetic beauty. I am happy to see my models in an artistic environment like they were in the Physics of Portuguese Heritage/ Architecture and Memory exhibition presented at Lisbon’s Popular Art Museum.

Alvaro Negrello is a master artisan: he began his career in 1987 and he started teaching in 1993