Casa da Música

Interesting facts

1. 1

   The building's concrete shell was cast in a single continuous pour for several sections to avoid seams.

2. 2

   The main auditorium features two huge corrugated glass windows that were specifically designed to allow city noise to be filtered out while letting in natural light.

3. 3

   The venue's internal circulation was modeled after the spatial organization of a traditional Portuguese house, with rooms arranged around a central core.

4. 4

   The building was constructed on the site of a former tram depot, honoring its industrial heritage through its monumental form.

5. 5

   The interior walls are lined with plywood panels featuring gold leaf patterns, which act as acoustic diffusers.

6. 6

   During construction, the building was nicknamed the 'iceberg' by locals due to its sharp, irregular, and stark white exterior appearance.

Overview

Designed by architect Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Casa da Música is a deconstructivist concert hall inaugurated in 2005. The building's iconic irregular polyhedron shape was created to challenge the traditional 'shoebox' design of concert halls. Its primary auditorium features corrugated glass walls at both ends, allowing natural light to penetrate the performance space and providing views of the surrounding city. The structure is built primarily from white architectural concrete, which required specialized techniques for its complex geometries. The main auditorium has a capacity of 1,238 seats. The complex includes a smaller rehearsal room, a VIP room, a restaurant on the top floor, and a rooftop terrace. It serves as the home base for three resident orchestras: the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto, Remix Ensemble, and Orquestra Barroca. Acoustically, the hall was engineered by Arup and TNO to achieve a high degree of sound clarity. The facility hosts a diverse range of genres, including classical, jazz, electronic, and experimental music.

Insider tips

• Book a guided architectural tour to gain access to behind-the-scenes areas like the stage and the high-tech acoustic control rooms.

• Check the terrace schedule, as the rooftop offers an elevated vantage point of the Boavista area not available from the street level.

• Consider dining at the top-floor restaurant, which offers floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline.