Promontorio: Architecture and the Reflective Practice

Thirty years of the Portuguese architectural powerhouse behind Harvard Square’s new theater

This publication surveys the projects of Portuguese architectural firm Promontorio from the past 30 years. Formed in 1990 as an experimental studio, the full-service firm has grown into a team of 50 architects, planners, landscape architects, interior designers and graphic designers. Although Promontorio works predominantly within their country of origin, it casts a wide net, geographically and functionally speaking, developing projects across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the US that serve a diverse roster of needs―from schools, museums and cultural institutions to housing, offices, hotels and retail. The practice is distinguished by its penchant for sharp lines and concrete, as emblematized by the Egyptian consulate building in Lisbon (2017), AC Marriott Portsmouth Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (2017) and Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge (2021, with Merge Architects).