Born in 1931, Jorge Costa Maia graduated from the Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa (ESBAL) in 1959. Early in his career, Costa Maia collaborated with renowned architects such as João Guilherme Faria da Costa between 1948 and 1951 and later with David Oliveira Lopes, forming a partnership from 1959 to 1971. During this time, he was co-responsible for the architectural definition of the Praça D. João I – Martim Moniz, part of the 1948 Baixa Lisbon redevelopment plan.

In 1951, he founded a successful office with engineers Gabriel Constante Júnior and José Mª Nobre dos Santos, where he contributed to over 900 projects, including housing, office buildings, and industrial designs. Notable projects include the multifamily housing building on Rua Bernardim Ribeiro 30 (1957), and the residential building on Rua Pêro de Alenquer 31 (1958-59), featuring ceramic panels by António Lopes Alves.

Costa Maia’s portfolio also includes office buildings, such as the Socolil building on Rua Joaquim António de Aguiar (1961) and the headquarters for Santa Casa da Misericórdia on Avenida D. Carlos I (1962-70). He also designed Portugal’s first Olympic-size pool at the Municipal Pools of Évora (1962-63) and other public facilities, including pools in Vendas Novas (1973) and Estremoz.

Following Faria da Costa’s death in 1971, Maia continued working with the firm, collaborating with José João Faria da Costa and José Lobo de Carvalho. One of their key projects was the Plan for the Relocation of Casal Vistoso (1971-73), although it was never realised. In the 1970s, he designed several housing projects, including works for Portela de Sacavém in Loures (1974), and the Quartel da Guarda Nacional Republicana in Portimão (1973), which was completed in 1987.

Original documents and copies, written and drawn documents, sketches, photographic reproductions.

PT/FAUL/ARQUIVO/JCM

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series: Architectural Projects
series: Photographs, Negatives