Porto’s architecture
Architect Álvaro Siza – who turns 90 this year – said that “architects don’t invent anything; they only transform reality”. He took this belief to the extreme in Porto. The city, which has become a mecca of design and architecture, is home to a collection of iconic structures by the the country’s most celebrated architect, and by some of his disciples, who have called their own movement, the Escola do Porto. Our gallery reveals the city’s most emblematic buildings, some of which are the most influential works in Portuguese architecture.
Designed by Álvaro Siza, the Porto School of Architecture was built between 1985 and 1996. The complex comprises ten V- and U-shaped pavilions arranged around a central square, all of which are connected to each other.
Photo by Egídio Santos / Universidade do Porto
Also by Álvaro Siza, the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art on Rua Dom João de Castro boasts 4,500sqm of exhibition space. Its straight lines, scale and lighting fit together perfectly to highlight the works on display.
Photo by © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGSerralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Fundação de Serralves, Porto (Portugal)
The Piscina das Marés dates back to the 1960s and consists of tidal pools dug into the rocky massif on the Atlantic Coast in Leça da Palmeira. They were designed by Siza with the greatest of simplicity in order to integrate them organically into the natural landscape.
The Casa de Chá Boa Nova, a restaurant also located on Leça da Palmeira, was built two metres from the sea in 1958. Back then, Álvaro Siza was working for Fernando Távora, who was also an architect. It was declared a National Monument in 2011.
The Saal Bouça Project is the name given to a social housing initiative for which Álvaro Siza was commissioned in the 1970s. These 128 homes have become one of the Portuguese architect’s most studied works.
The Casa do Cinema Manoel de Oliveira is one of the youngest spaces on the list, and also belongs to the Serralves Foundation. It was repurposed from a previous building to commemorate the filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira. The space, defined by clean lines, is impressive.
Photo by © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG / Casa do Cinema Manoel de Oliveira, Fundação de Serralves, Porto (Portugal).
On the banks of the Duero in the Historic Centre stands the Alfândega do Porto building. Built in 1859, it was restored in 1990 by Eduardo Souto de Moura, one of Siza’s most prominent disciples. The building houses the Museum of Transport and Communications, among other things.
Designed by Álvaro Siza, the Porto School of Architecture was built between 1985 and 1996. The complex comprises ten V- and U-shaped pavilions arranged around a central square, all of which are connected to each other.
Photo by Egídio Santos / Universidade do Porto
