"The design that is now presented seeks, from a formal point of view, not only to restore an important "ruin" in the block and in the centre of the village where it is located, but also to recreate the former unity and identity between house, patio and garden - but now in an alternative way - building in spaces that were open, to redefine different spatial articulations, according to the new programmatic contents. In this sense, the Arch, a symbol of connection, resumes and enhances its meaning. 

In order to achieve this goal, an attempt was made to reconcile the indispensable internal fluency between the new and the old construction, with its external volumetric and formal balance. On the other hand, and although the design introduces a spatial order suited to the new program, it seeks to maintain, at the same time, the preexisting order, characteristic of the old 17th century houses. 

In terms of its relationship with the surroundings, it seemed necessary to highlight the significance of the Casa da Cultura as a collective facility integrated in the urban environment. This led to a plastic treatment that resorts to large construction fronts, tearing open large openings and stone cladding the façades, looking for a clear counterpoint with the dimensions, openings and finishes used in the old neighboring houses. The same intention appears in the search for maximum contact with the exterior, in the main sectors that make up the cultural complex, even allowing a cross reading of the block where it is located. 

Thus, in this building, and in summary, the aim is to reconcile respect for the old house and the urban fabric in which it is inserted, with the affirmation, in terms of a new architectural language, of a cultural and spatial program, which intends to be open to a participation of the population.


Bernardo Ferrão 
Porto, Agosto de 1984