VICO PROFILES | Alban Wagener, Porto

Alban Wagener understands the contradictions of space : urban and rural, public and private, land and sea. Dualities shape his own life too. He grew up in Luxemburg, studied in France, had his own company in Vienna and is now living and working in Porto, Portugal.

Tell us someting about your background and where you grew up?

I grew up in Luxembourg, in a small village called Kopstal in the center of the country. When I was 14 I moved to France to study economics in Highschool. When I realised that this was not for me I changed to Architecture, something that was more creative and much more demanding for me.

Where did you make your first steps as an architect?

When I choose to study in Vienna for my Bachelor and Master degree in Architecture I did not know what would happen to me nor, that I would spend such an adventurous and long time in Vienna.

What inspires you to work in the field of architecture?

It is the constant way of thinking over the way we live. The way to improve the quality and the function of our daily routine. The way of creating, realizing goods, utilities or spaces. I love to work with honest materials like wood, glass, metal, stone and concrete. All of them of course in their raw beauty.

Why did you choose to move to Porto/ What makes Porto unique for you?

Porto was a kind of a tryout for me. I somehow put my finger on the globe and there was porto. When I first arrived here with my luggage I was welcomed so warmly by people that I did not know. I realized that all of us are constantly working to pay for the free time to travel to a place like Porto in order to recover from all our “work”. I decided to stay here and I asked my sister to send on the rest of my belongings.

How do you escape your busy daily life and what is your ultimate escape?

When I have to escape I love the fact that Porto is so close to the sea. In a 15-20 minute car trip you can experience the most beautiful beaches in Portugal. I take my surfboard and I am out for a day of pure fun with my friends and we have a great day at the beach.

Where can you go for a good surf session around Porto?

I can definitely suggest more than one beach around here. There are some great spots North of Porto like Leca de Palmeira, Ofir, or if you go South you can reach Maceda, Espinho and Aveiro in a radius of 30 km.

More information about Alban Wagener and his work:

Website: www.albanwagener.com
Instagram: @albanwagener_arq

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