One is a polyhedron that has been vibrating since 2005. It’s a living monument. A unique case of contemporary construction, a reference anywhere in the world. It’s an unexpected music venue. It has a square that brings locals and visitors together. In the shadow of the polyhedron, skaters slide all day long. What a mix!
The other is a prodigious pair of art deco and contemporary architecture. It was an aristocratic house until the 40s. It was renovated in the 1990s and over a decade later a striking new building was built next to it. It’s one of the most important modern museums in Europe.
The first is “Casa da Música”. The second is the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art. And the best way to get to know them is on an exclusive tour, guided by an expert in the field.
The “Casa da Música”, designed by Dutch star architect Rem Koolhaas, has revolutionized the Boavista district. And it has put Porto on the main route for top musical performers. It’s a house open to all genres. A mandatory point in the city.
Serralves is equally impressive. The art collection brings visitors from every continent. The beautiful and vast gardens alone are a reason for going there, as is the museum building, designed by the Portuguese master Siza Vieira. And then there’s the House of Cinema Manoel de Oliveira, dedicated to the very important director (who died in 2015 at the age of 106, still shooting movies!).
Yes, do set aside a full afternoon for these two spaces. Porto’s cultural oxygen is inexhaustible!
