Tuna architectures in the South Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Tuna has been fished in the Iberian peninsula southern coast since ancient times, following the predictable movement of schools entering Mediterranean sea to breed. Portugal and Spain shares multiple connections on fish, fishing techniques and capitals, constantly circulating through the borders along centuries, but specially since the invention of canning in early 19th century. Analyzing two pairs of settlements in both countries, designed in the 20th century in a planned fashion to host the workforce dedicated to fishing and processing activities, we pretend to establish parallels and search for connection points between these tuna–fishing architectures, built between 1920 and 1940’s in direct relation to the Almadravas. Sharing fishing spaces and historical affinities with Spain, Portugal didn’t transformed tuna in a national symbol as did with cod and sardines. Spain captured this identitary element for its nationalistic driven economy and propaganda through a monopolistic consortium on tuna fishing, while in Portugal private initiative prevailed on canning, under strict surveillance of the corporativist state. The dimensions of the towns designed to host fishermen families during the fishing season are directly related to the fish traps scale, positioned in relation to the fishing sites, contributing to rise the fishing pressure over a sui generis specie and building the landscape. Even if contrasting to the image of vanguardist modernity, these settlements, realized under different economical schemes, shows some degree of industrial rationality, aligned with productive expectations, resulting in effects on built environment and marine ecosystems. The similarities between the architectural imprints of fishing on land suggests other perspectives that overpass the national borders and direct relations between architectural history and marine biology to understand the socio-ecology of a fish.