José Gigante
José Manuel dos Santos Gigante was born in Porto on 19 March 1952.
He studied Architecture at the Porto School of Fine Arts which he finished in 1981. Before this, and due to his social and civic activity, he led the team of the SAAL Project (Local Support Office that dealt with housing issues) responsible for the Urban Reform of the Sé area in Porto (1975-1976) and collaborated in the architecture office of Jorge Gigante and Francisco Melo (1978-1990).
Alongside the activity as an architect, he was also a teacher, first at the ESBAP in the 80s, and later at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, where, as Assistant Professor, he taught Architecture courses between 1981 and 1988, and later he was a Guest Professor, from 2010 to 2018.
Between 1988 and 1996 he worked with João Álvaro Rocha.
He is managing partner of the company “José Gigante – Arquitecto Lda”, institute in 1997, “José Gigante – Arquitecto Lda”, instituted in 1997, and located at he city of Porto.
He was a Guest Professor of the Department of Architecture of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (1998-2010) and of ESAD -Escola Superior de Artes e Design (2012-2015).He was a Visiting Professor at the École Nationale Supérieure d' Architecture de Clermont-Ferrand (1989), at the École d' Architecture de Nancy (1991), at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Palermo/Buenos Aires (1999) and at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, inTrondheim, Norway (2013-2014).
Since 2012 he is a Guest Professor of the Department of Architecture of Lusófona University of Porto.
He is author or coauthor of the following constructed works: Balneary and washers, Sé, Porto (1974-1977); Collective Housing Building of FFH, Lamego (1978-1982); Telephone Switchboard (enlargement), Vila Nova de Gaia (1979-1982); Borges & Irmão Bank(current BPI), Braga (1980-1985); Boavista Telephone Switchboard (enlargement), Porto (1983-1987); Collective Housing Building, Cohaemato Cooperative, Matosinhos (1984); Rio Tinto Telephone Switchboard (enlargement), Gondomar (1986-1989); Windmill reconversion, Vilar de Mouros, Caminha (1989-1996); Housing and Equipments, Gondifelos, Vila Nova de Famalicão (1989-1997); Belmonte Theatre (Teatro de Marionetas do Porto), Porto (1991-1992); National Laboratory of Veterinary Research, Vila do Conde (1991-2000); Portugal Institute of Communications, Porto (1993-1995); Restoration of residencial buildings, Escadas das Verdades, Porto (1995-2002); Ramos House, Atães, Gondomar (1995-2002); Clementina Loureiro House, Senhora da Hora, Matosinhos (1996-2005); residential buildings and offices, Vila Nova de Famalicão (1997-2011); António Teixeira house, Vila Nova de Famalicão (1998-2004); Olive tree house, Moledo, Caminha (1998-2006); Gabriela Pinheiro house, Porto (1999-2003); Houses, Gavião, Vila Nova de Famalicão (1999-2006); Bolhão Palace, reconversion (Bolhão Theatre), Porto (1999-2015); reconversion of a granary into a house, Guimarães (2002-2005); house, Lugar da Costa, Guimarães (2002-2007); Laura Fonseca house (reconversion of a granary), Macieira da Lixa (2003-2009); Cristina Silva house, Porto (2004-2006); “Teatro de Marionetas do Porto” house-museum (reconversion), Rua das Flores, Porto (2004-2013); 15 metro stations, Póvoa Line, Metro do Porto (2004-2017); Rocha Peixoto High School (enlargement), Póvoa de Varzim (2007-2010); “Stop Affaire”store, Coimbra (2008); Tomaz Pelayo High School (enlargement), Santo Tirso (2008-2010); Francisco de Holanda High School(enlargement and modification), Guimarães (2008-2011); Várzea dos Castro (rural tourism), Fornos de Algodres (2010-2015); house renovation, Braga (2013-2016); Paredes de Coura High School(rehabilitation), Paredes de Coura (2015-2019); Museu das Marionetas do Porto (reconversion), Rua de Belomonte, Porto (2016).
José Gigante has participated in conferences and speeches, and in 1999 was invited by the "Porto 2001" Society to present his ideas for one of the areas under study in the Upgrading Programme of Downtown Porto.
His name is mentioned in the books Dicionário dos Arquitectos (Portugal do século I à actualidade), by José Manuel Pedreirinho (Edições Afrontamento, 1994), and Dicionário de Personalidades Portuenses do Século XX, coordinated by Germano Silva e Luís Miguel Duarte (Porto Editora 2001).
His projects and works have been exhibited and published in Portugal and abroad, in European Architecture magazines and in books on Contemporary European Architecture. In 2008, he edited the book "Habitar", a compilation of 7 of his projects, containing also an extensive compilation of his work.
In parallel with his professional activity he also dedicates part of his time to other activities such as poetry, police riddles, theater and sports.
He is author of the book Zé Gigas, poeta popular – Antologia Poética 1962-2017 (Porto, 2017).Since 1995 he decifres police puzzles, under the pseudonym of Inspetor Gigas. He was champion, 5 consecutive times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017), in a contest promoted by the newspaper “Público”.
In the second half of the 80s he participated as skater clown in the street shows of TAI (Amator Intervention Theater), under the direction of Mário Moutinho e João Paulo Seara Cardoso, and for several years, especially during the Carnival festivities, he impersonated public female figures.
Between the age of 14 and 31 he was a hockey player on skates in the clubs Estrela e Vigorosa Sport (EVS) e Centro Desportivo Universitário do Porto (CDUP).
José Gigante lives in Porto where he has his office.
(Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2010)Source:
https://sigarra.up.pt/up/pt/web_base.gera_pagina?p_pagina=antigos%20estudantes%20ilustres%20-%20jos%c3%a9%20gigante
Alongside the activity as an architect, he was also a teacher, first at the ESBAP in the 80s, and later at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, where, as Assistant Professor, he taught Architecture courses between 1981 and 1988, and later he was a Guest Professor, from 2010 to 2018.
He is managing partner of the company “José Gigante – Arquitecto Lda”, institute in 1997, “José Gigante – Arquitecto Lda”, instituted in 1997, and located at he city of Porto.
Since 2012 he is a Guest Professor of the Department of Architecture of Lusófona University of Porto.
José Gigante has participated in conferences and speeches, and in 1999 was invited by the "Porto 2001" Society to present his ideas for one of the areas under study in the Upgrading Programme of Downtown Porto.
His projects and works have been exhibited and published in Portugal and abroad, in European Architecture magazines and in books on Contemporary European Architecture. In 2008, he edited the book "Habitar", a compilation of 7 of his projects, containing also an extensive compilation of his work.
He is author of the book Zé Gigas, poeta popular – Antologia Poética 1962-2017 (Porto, 2017).
Between the age of 14 and 31 he was a hockey player on skates in the clubs Estrela e Vigorosa Sport (EVS) e Centro Desportivo Universitário do Porto (CDUP).