The old Laboratório Médico "Prof. Alberto de Aguiar" can be seen and visited in Porto (Rua da Restauração, nº 362). The laboratory was founded and directed at the beginning of 20th Century by Portuguese physician and biochemist Alberto de Aguiar. The laboratory stopped its medical activity in 2009 but inside the remarkable building, decorated in the style Art Nouveau, almost all friezes and panels, of artistic high-quality and scientific historical sense, are preserved. It contains many panels and tile friezes in decorative ceramic tiles (dating back to 1914 and 1920) about Chemistry, Medicine, scientists, doctors, medical equipment…
Currently, the residential part of the building serves as a guesthouse for tourists and is named “Casa da Restauração” (House of Restoration).
For more information and visits, please contact the current owner, Mr. José Pedro Corte Real (Phone number: (+351) 966921978). The owner is pleased to show the "Medical Laboratory" to any visitor.
The exterior of the building
Louis Pasteur's azulejos
Antoine Lavoisier's azulejos
The interior of the Laboratory from an old publication
- Main text by Raquel Gonçalves Maia and modern photos of the azulejos by Ângelo Sande, courtesy of José Pedro Aguiar Côrte-Real.
Bibliography
- Gonçalves-Maia, R., “O Kaliapparat”, Química – Boletim SPQ, 137 (April/June 2015), in press
- Gonçalves-Maia, R., “O Laboratório Médico Prof. Alberto de Aguiar, Química – Boletim SPQ, 137 April/June 2015, in press
- Gonçalves-Maia, R., “Química em Azulejaria - Alberto de Aguiar e o “Laboratório Médico”, RVq – Revista Virtual de Química, 2015 in press