Cultural Idiosyncrasies and Preservation Challenges in the Indo-Portuguese Catholic Religious Architecture of Goa (India)

The Goan Catholic religious architecture is undoubtedly a unique and valuable transcultural heritage, which needs to be understood and preserved. For four and a half centuries, during the Portuguese administration, this heritage was conserved following Western premises, moderated by the local influences. With the integration of Goa into India, the preservation became under the Indian cultural influence, and this fact has brought some changes. Therefore, issues and idiosyncrasies concerning transculturality, the meaning of heritage and authenticity among different cultures (in this case, Portuguese culture and Indian cultures) will be discussed, including the debate on the heritage preservation in Goa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

"Tupi or not Tupi" versus "Casa Portuguesa": Friction between Lúcio Costa and Raul Lino in Auriverde Jornada (or the debate that might have taken place on Identity and Heritage in Architecture)

In the book Auriverde Jornada, Raul Lino recounts his meeting with Lúcio Costa in Rio de Janeiro in 1935. That brief shared moment, their personal convictions in relation to architecture and the affinities and divergences that unite/distance them serve as the point of departure for a comparative analysis of their professional journey in the sphere of heritage safeguarding. In fact, as well as landmarks in the architectural landscape of their respective countries, Lino and Costa were also towering figures in the heritage pathway, taking different directions but also sometimes moving in parallel. The animated debate between Lino and Costa on the spirit of modern architecture functions as a catalyst for the present essay, which encompasses a wider problematic: the construction of identity in architecture, the idiosyncrasies of the Modern Movement and the patrimonialization of architecture in Portugal and Brazil, as well as the relations, influences and repercussions that existed in this area between both countries between 1930 and 1960.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Why the Preservation of Transcultural Heritage?

In an era of generalized globalization, which leads to increased hybridity in practically all levels of our existence, cultural barriers also tend to shade off substantially. This has motivated a growing feeling of protection regarding several singular cultural heritage elements that are considered to be unique identity components of the societies and communities that created them, and of irreplaceable value. However, this globalization that began centuries ago through commercial, technological, cultural, political and war-related exchanges between different peoples, which have been gradually increasing in intensity to the present day, turned out to be itself the originator of a heritage that has been created precisely in the context of contacts between different cultures. This new transcultural heritage (or, in some way, hybrid heritage) presents a whole set of different complexities that, to a greater or lesser extent, hinders its safeguard and preservation for future generations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

On the Trail of Baltazar Castro, a Portuguese Restorer in India

In 1950 the architect Baltazar Castro arrived to the Portuguese Estado da Índia, commissioned to co-ordinate restorations to its monuments. Baltazar Castro was the former director of the Service of National Monuments from the DGEMN (the Portuguese state entity responsible for public works). The Portuguese dictatorial regime of that period used the ‘great national Past’ as a propagandistic instrument and, therefore, the architectural monuments, to be easily recognized and identified, had to recover their ‘original pure shape’ by reintegrating and removing from them ‘spurious additions’ obstructing or deforming their perception. This kind of patrimonial intervention began to be criticized, especially from the end of the 1940s onwards, coinciding with Baltazar Castro’s retirement from the DGEMN and his commission into the Estado da Índia. This article focuses on Baltazar Castro’s interventions in India, reflecting his previous practice in Portugal: in some works, an idealized image was intended to be recreated for the monuments, causing their adulteration by acquiring an image that they never had before. His action had a huge impact on the architectural heritage of Old Goa, some of it classified today as World Heritage by UNESCO.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Obnova srednjeveških utrdb v času portugalskega diktatorskega režima (1926–1974)

In the Modern Age, most fortified manor houses in Portugal fell into ruin, due to the lack of dignified living conditions, the obsolescence of defensive structures, and the decline decay of aristocratic families. However, between 1933 and 1974, many ruined fortified manor houses were restored by the Portuguese dictatorial regime. The nationalist dictatorship of Estado Novo used heritage as an ideological instrument of propaganda. This proposal aims to analyse the context of the ideological restoration of medieval fortified manor houses by the dictatorial regime, addressing symbolisms, restoration actions, and the contextualisation of fortified manor houses in Portugal by focusing on particular case studies.V novem veku je večina srednjeveških gradov na Portugalskem propadla zaradi premajhnega udobja, zastarelosti obrambnih struktur in izumiranja plemiških družin. V letih od 1933– 1974 je portugalski diktatorski režim številne porušene gradove obnovil. Nacionalistična diktatura Estado Novo je kulturno dediščino uporabljala kot ideološki in- strument propagande. Namen članka je analizirati kontekst ideološke obnove srednjeveških gradov v času diktatorskega režima, pri čemer so obravnavani simbolika, ukrepi pri obnovah in kontekstualizacija gradov na Portugalskem s poudarkom na študijah posameznih primero

From Rome to Goa : Domes in Goan Catholic Architecture

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«Reinstalling the Old City of Goa as an Eternal Light of Portuguese Spirituality»: The Plan for the Reintegration of Old Goa at the End of the Colonial Period

On the eve of the Indian invasion of the Portuguese Estado da Índia, or Portuguese India, a commission led by Ismael Gracias, created an idealized plan for the reintegration of Old Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Eastern Empire. For the Portuguese dictatorial regime, the ambient of crisis caused by threats of an imminent Indian invasion generated a need to justify the Portuguese permanence in India. This would be accomplished by showing the world the secular history of the Portuguese presence in India, visible symbolically in the great architectural monuments of Old Goa. The Goan monuments of Portuguese influence thus became a powerful and ideological instrument of propaganda, validating the heritage activity on them. This article will focus on the intended plan of the Gracias commission, as well as its repercussions within the technical staff and the political leaders both in Portugal and in the Estado da Índia. Based on research of primary Portuguese sources, this article contributes to the little-studied and relatively unknown field of the preservation of the architectural heritage in the Portuguese Estado da Índia, and briefly compares this case with similar ones from the colonial period.Nas vésperas da invasão Indiana do Estado da Índia portuguesa, ou Índia Portuguesa, foi idealizado um plano para a reintegração de Velha Goa, a antiga capital do Império Português do Oriente, por uma comissão liderada por Ismael Gracias. Para o regime ditatorial português, o ambiente de crise, originado por ameaças de uma eminente invasão indiana, gerou a necessidade de justificar a permanência portuguesa na Índia. Tal desiderato seria alcançado mostrando ao mundo a secular história da presença portuguesa na Índia, simbolicamente visível na grandiosa arquitectura dos monumentos de Velha Goa. Os monumentos goeses com influência portuguesa tornaram-se assim poderosos instrumentos ideológicos de propaganda, validando as acções patrimoniais realizadas sobre eles. Este artigo pretende analisar o plano concebido pela comissão de Ismael Gracias, bem como as suas repercussões nos corpos técnicos e nas lideranças políticas de Portugal e do Estado da Índia. Baseando-se numa pesquisa em fontes primárias portuguesas, o artigo contribui para o conhecimento num campo ainda pouco estudado e relativamente desconhecido, o da preservação do património arquitectónico no Estado da Índia portuguesa, comparando este caso com outros similares do período colonial.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proof-of-concept of a single-point Time-of-Flight LiDAR system and guidelines towards integrated high-accuracy timing, advanced polarization sensing and scanning with a MEMS micromirror

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Física (área de especialização em Dispositivos, Microssistemas e Nanotecnologias)The core focus of the work reported herein is the fulfillment of a functional Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor to validate the direct Time-of-Flight (ToF) ranging concept and the acquisition of critical knowledge regarding pivotal aspects jeopardizing the sensor’s performance, for forthcoming improvements aiming a realistic sensor targeted towards automotive applications. Hereupon, the ToF LiDAR system is implemented through an architecture encompassing both optical and electronical functions and is subsequently characterized under a sequence of test procedures usually applied in benchmarking of LiDAR sensors. The design employs a hybrid edge-emitting laser diode (pulsed at 6kHz, 46ns temporal FWHM, 7ns rise-time; 919nm wavelength with 5nm FWHM), a PIN photodiode to detect the back-reflected radiation, a transamplification stage and two Time-to-Digital Converters (TDCs), with leading-edge discrimination electronics to mark the transit time between emission and detection events. Furthermore, a flexible modular design is adopted using two separate Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), comprising the transmitter (TX) and the receiver (RX), i.e. detection and signal processing. The overall output beam divergence is 0.4º×1º and an optical peak power of 60W (87% overall throughput) is realized. The sensor is tested indoors from 0.56 to 4.42 meters, and the distance is directly estimated from the pulses transit time. The precision within these working distances ranges from 4cm to 7cm, reflected in a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) between 12dB and 18dB. The design requires a calibration procedure to correct systematic errors in the range measurements, induced by two sources: the timing offset due to architecture-inherent differences in the optoelectronic paths and a supplementary bias resulting from the design, which renders an intensity dependence and is denoted time-walk. The calibrated system achieves a mean accuracy of 1cm. Two distinct target materials are used for characterization and performance evaluation: a metallic automotive paint and a diffuse material. This selection is representative of two extremes of actual LiDAR applications. The optical and electronic characterization is thoroughly detailed, including the recognition of a good agreement between empirical observations and simulations in ZEMAX, for optical design, and in a SPICE software, for the electrical subsystem. The foremost meaningful limitation of the implemented design is identified as an outcome of the leading-edge discrimination. A proposal for a Constant Fraction Discriminator addressing sub-millimetric accuracy is provided to replace the previous signal processing element. This modification is mandatory to virtually eliminate the aforementioned systematic bias in range sensing due to the intensity dependency. A further crucial addition is a scanning mechanism to supply the required Field-of-View (FOV) for automotive usage. The opto-electromechanical guidelines to interface a MEMS micromirror scanner, achieving a 46º×17º FOV, with the LiDAR sensor are furnished. Ultimately, a proof-of-principle to the use of polarization in material classification for advanced processing is carried out, aiming to complement the ToF measurements. The original design is modified to include a variable wave retarder, allowing the simultaneous detection of orthogonal linear polarization states using a single detector. The material classification with polarization sensing is tested with the previously referred materials culminating in an 87% and 11% degree of linear polarization retention from the metallic paint and the diffuse material, respectively, computed by Stokes parameters calculus. The procedure was independently validated under the same conditions with a micro-polarizer camera (92% and 13% polarization retention).O intuito primordial do trabalho reportado no presente documento é o desenvolvimento de um sensor LiDAR funcional, que permita validar o conceito de medição direta do tempo de voo de pulsos óticos para a estimativa de distância, e a aquisição de conhecimento crítico respeitante a aspetos fundamentais que prejudicam a performance do sensor, ambicionando melhorias futuras para um sensor endereçado para aplicações automóveis. Destarte, o sistema LiDAR é implementado através de uma arquitetura que engloba tanto funções óticas como eletrónicas, sendo posteriormente caracterizado através de uma sequência de testes experimentais comumente aplicáveis em benchmarking de sensores LiDAR. O design tira partido de um díodo de laser híbrido (pulsado a 6kHz, largura temporal de 46ns; comprimento de onda de pico de 919nm e largura espetral de 5nm), um fotodíodo PIN para detetar a radiação refletida, um andar de transamplificação e dois conversores tempo-digital, com discriminação temporal com threshold constante para marcar o tempo de trânsito entre emissão e receção. Ademais, um design modular flexível é adotado através de duas PCBs independentes, compondo o transmissor e o recetor (deteção e processamento de sinal). A divergência global do feixe emitido para o ambiente circundante é 0.4º×1º, apresentando uma potência ótica de pico de 60W (eficiência de 87% na transmissão). O sensor é testado em ambiente fechado, entre 0.56 e 4.42 metros. A precisão dentro das distâncias de trabalho varia entre 4cm e 7cm, o que se reflete numa razão sinal-ruído entre 12dB e 18dB. O design requer calibração para corrigir erros sistemáticos nas distâncias adquiridas devido a duas fontes: o desvio no ToF devido a diferenças nos percursos optoeletrónicos, inerentes à arquitetura, e uma dependência adicional da intensidade do sinal refletido, induzida pela técnica de discriminação implementada e denotada time-walk. A exatidão do sistema pós-calibração perfaz um valor médio de 1cm. Dois alvos distintos são utilizados durante a fase de caraterização e avaliação performativa: uma tinta metálica aplicada em revestimentos de automóveis e um material difusor. Esta seleção é representativa de dois cenários extremos em aplicações reais do LiDAR. A caraterização dos subsistemas ótico e eletrónico é minuciosamente detalhada, incluindo a constatação de uma boa concordância entre observações empíricas e simulações óticas em ZEMAX e elétricas num software SPICE. O principal elemento limitante do design implementado é identificado como sendo a técnica de discriminação adotada. Por conseguinte, é proposta a substituição do anterior bloco por uma técnica de discriminação a uma fração constante do pulso de retorno, com exatidões da ordem sub-milimétrica. Esta modificação é imperativa para eliminar o offset sistemático nas medidas de distância, decorrente da dependência da intensidade do sinal. Uma outra inclusão de extrema relevância é um mecanismo de varrimento que assegura o cumprimento dos requisitos de campo de visão para aplicações automóveis. As diretrizes para a integração de um micro-espelho no sensor concebido são providenciadas, permitindo atingir um campo de visão de 46º×17º. Conclusivamente, é feita uma prova de princípio para a utilização da polarização como complemento das medições do tempo de voo, de modo a suportar a classificação de materiais em processamento avançado. A arquitetura original é modificada para incluir uma lâmina de atraso variável, permitindo a deteção de estados de polarização ortogonais com um único fotodetetor. A classificação de materiais através da aferição do estado de polarização da luz refletida é testada para os materiais supramencionados, culminando numa retenção de polarização de 87% (tinta metálica) e 11% (difusor), calculados através dos parâmetros de Stokes. O procedimento é independentemente validado com uma câmara polarimétrica nas mesmas condições (retenção de 92% e 13%)

Preserving Transcultural Heritage: Your Way or My Way?

In an era of generalized globalization, which leads to increased hybridity in practically all levels of our existence, cultural barriers also tend to shade off substantially. This has motivated a growing feeling of protection regarding several singular cultural heritage elements that are considered to be unique identity components of the societies and communities that created them, and of irreplaceable value. However, this globalization that began centuries ago through commercial, technological, cultural, political and war-related exchanges between different peoples, which have been gradually increasing in intensity to the present day, turned out to be itself the originator of a heritage that has been created precisely in the context of contacts between different cultures. This new transcultural heritage (or, in some way, hybrid heritage) presents a whole set of different complexities that, to a greater or lesser extent, hinders its safeguard and preservation for future generations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio