Res+SIGN Workshop with FAUL at Ermida do Santo Cristo, Lisbon

From the 14th to the 26th of September 2026, co+re, in partnership with the Lisbon School of Architecture (FAUL), held the Res+SIGN Workshop: Ermida do Santo Cristo in Lisbon.

Bringing together students and faculty from FAUL (Lisbon), co+labo SANO and Studio Lab (Almazan) from SD Keio University (Tokyo), and the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Ljubljana (ULFA), the 12-day workshop explored new ways of reading, sensing, and intervening in historical urban fabric.

The Focus: Semiotic Exploration & Spatial Reinterpretation

The core aim of the Res+SIGN Workshop was to reinterpret the meaning of an architectural site through a combination of semiotic research, design exploration, and multi-scale urban-artistic representations.

Centered on the Ermida do Santo Cristo in Belém, participants questioned how historical, visual, and atmospheric layers intersect. Rather than treating the chapel merely as a static monument, the workshop approached it as a dynamic urban-architectural space rich with hidden codes, memories, and sensory possibilities.

Process & Methodology

The workshop bridged analytical study with immediate, tactile spatial experimentation:

* Observation via Orihon: Throughout their journey across Lisbon and their days on site, participants documented observations on folded accordion notebooks (orihon). These served as evolving logs capturing sketches, semiotic diagrams, atmospheric notes, and personal reflections.

* Model Making & Design Exploration: Back in the studio, participants translated spatial and theoretical ideas into physical scale models, examining structural rhythms, shadows, and threshold experiences.

* 1:1 Scale Real-Space Interventions: Moving beyond drawing boards and computer screens, students constructed full-scale 1:1 spatial installations directly at the Ermida do Santo Cristo. These physical interventions allowed participants to test spatial feelings, scale, and atmospheric nuances in real time.

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Workshop Participants

The international collaboration brought together a diverse group of academic leaders and emerging student designers:

Lisbon School of Architecture (FAUL) Liljana Čavić, Alessia Allegri, Ana de Vasconcelos, Clara Gonçalves , Sérgio Padrão Fernandes, Stefanos Antoniadis

University of Ljubljana (ULFA) Tadej Glažar, Vid De Gleria