70 Years of Carvalho, Batista & Cª, Lda - Invitation to Arq. Adalberto Dias
Continuing the challenge we set ourselves to share our history and evolution, as a company and entity of commercial and historical reference, both for the sector and for the city's own culture and identity, we invited Architect Adalberto Dias to write about his relationship with Carvalho, Batista & Cª., Lda, following this path of celebrating the company's 70 years.
"Seventies
I’m writing to celebrate the 70’s anniversary of Carvalho, Batista & Cª, Lda, and honor the founder Mr. José Carvalho, who would complete these year 100 years old.
Cbc is known in the commercial business as a specialist on hardware, tools and others. On Almada street, one of the streets who was developed in the expansion of the city in the XVIII century and outside the Fernandinas walls, to connect Loios and Clerigos street to the fields of ST Ovideo – nowadays Republica square – e one of the first street of these kind of business.
At the 79 street door number, a classic lot for the Oporto bourgeoisie of that time, narrow and long, the entire ground floor occupies three spaces that follow each other from the entrance, with a large room and a generous balcony in the center, with one side filed with glass displays and at the other by shelves with wooden drawers, displaying the entire collection of articles and accessories. Followed by another identical but more reserved space and also a large warehouse at the end of the lot. On the top floor, the discreet and essential office area management and accounting.
Mr. Carvalho was a merchant who no longer exists; with his thin cut mustache, black and well trimmed, with a good shape and impeccably dressed in a blazer without dispensing a tie, he received regular customers or considered and the suppliers in the more reserved intermediate space, with a natural kindness and very good disposition, conveying confidence and competence. In the previous room, a significant and efficient team of employees, with order and method served the daily clientele.
I met him in the seventies, when I accompanied Siza to the store, when he needed to choose hardware or know how to adapt it to the needs of his desire or requirements for the current project.
Without Siza company and with the same purpose, I have maintained this ritual since that date until today. The visits proved to be important moments of learning, and discoveries. Mr. Carvalho was an attentive listener to the difficulties, problems and hesitations of who designs or builds, and very knowledgeable about techniques, materials and art to build, quickly offering possible solutions, from the most prosaic to more elaborate and special; and without immediate resolution, he ordered the hardware to be done, accessory or object according to our design and needs, in workshops and carefully selected artisans who supported him through his life.
With these vision he increased and enriched the collection of articles expanding them and supplying the market for objects and furniture from many authors, consolidating and doubling the store, with the essential help and enthusiasm of his son José Carvalho, architect, to whom he wisely and timely transmitted the secrets and specificity of the craft.
Since a few years, there have been two shops of Carvalho, Batista & Cª, Lda on Almada street. The first at nº79, maintains the tradition of hardware items, tools and cutlery; The
second at nº 29 has decorative and design objects, furniture and lighting, without forgetting the variety of accessories, kitchen equipment and bath, and even urban equipment.
CBC is part of Portuguese architecture, it is an essential store in Porto and one of the
street survivors of these kind of business."
I’m writing to celebrate the 70’s anniversary of Carvalho, Batista & Cª, Lda, and honor the founder Mr. José Carvalho, who would complete these year 100 years old.
Cbc is known in the commercial business as a specialist on hardware, tools and others. On Almada street, one of the streets who was developed in the expansion of the city in the XVIII century and outside the Fernandinas walls, to connect Loios and Clerigos street to the fields of ST Ovideo – nowadays Republica square – e one of the first street of these kind of business.
At the 79 street door number, a classic lot for the Oporto bourgeoisie of that time, narrow and long, the entire ground floor occupies three spaces that follow each other from the entrance, with a large room and a generous balcony in the center, with one side filed with glass displays and at the other by shelves with wooden drawers, displaying the entire collection of articles and accessories. Followed by another identical but more reserved space and also a large warehouse at the end of the lot. On the top floor, the discreet and essential office area management and accounting.
Mr. Carvalho was a merchant who no longer exists; with his thin cut mustache, black and well trimmed, with a good shape and impeccably dressed in a blazer without dispensing a tie, he received regular customers or considered and the suppliers in the more reserved intermediate space, with a natural kindness and very good disposition, conveying confidence and competence. In the previous room, a significant and efficient team of employees, with order and method served the daily clientele.
I met him in the seventies, when I accompanied Siza to the store, when he needed to choose hardware or know how to adapt it to the needs of his desire or requirements for the current project.
Without Siza company and with the same purpose, I have maintained this ritual since that date until today. The visits proved to be important moments of learning, and discoveries. Mr. Carvalho was an attentive listener to the difficulties, problems and hesitations of who designs or builds, and very knowledgeable about techniques, materials and art to build, quickly offering possible solutions, from the most prosaic to more elaborate and special; and without immediate resolution, he ordered the hardware to be done, accessory or object according to our design and needs, in workshops and carefully selected artisans who supported him through his life.
With these vision he increased and enriched the collection of articles expanding them and supplying the market for objects and furniture from many authors, consolidating and doubling the store, with the essential help and enthusiasm of his son José Carvalho, architect, to whom he wisely and timely transmitted the secrets and specificity of the craft.
Since a few years, there have been two shops of Carvalho, Batista & Cª, Lda on Almada street. The first at nº79, maintains the tradition of hardware items, tools and cutlery; The
second at nº 29 has decorative and design objects, furniture and lighting, without forgetting the variety of accessories, kitchen equipment and bath, and even urban equipment.
CBC is part of Portuguese architecture, it is an essential store in Porto and one of the
street survivors of these kind of business."
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