It was inaugurated last Wednesday, October 15 by the Portuguese Prime Minister, the House of Architecture in Matosinhos, Portugal. This work marks the importance of architecture in the national panorama, at a time so troubled by the profession, when we fight for an architecture made by architects.

Image © Rui Duarte Silva

Image © Rui Duarte Silva

That is why the words of the Prime Minister, António Costa, were so important and reinforced the confidence that the architecture will be done by the architects and not by the engineers. "... architectural projects are the exclusive competence of architects." "... no other profession, no matter how useful it is to construction, replaces the hand, the drawing and the unique knowledge that only an architect knows," says António Costa.

Matosinhos is already a municipality marked by great architectural projects, such as the "Piscina das Marés" or the "Casa de Chá da Boa Nova" by Siza Vieira and now takes on a greater importance by receiving the "House of Architecture".

Image © Nelson Garrido

The new House of Architecture with an area of 4.700-square-metre, takes advantage of the ruins of Companhia Real Vinícola, located in Matosinhos and is signed by the architect of the municipality, Guilherme Machado Vaz. This is also a good example of an architecture project, executed, directed and planned directly from within a City Council.

The old buildings that now give the body to a new soul, belonged to a former factory facility of the Menéres & Company Society, destined for the Real Companhia Vinícola, an industrial complex of English tradition. It was also a concern of the architect from the beginning of the creative process to maintain the original characteristics of the building.

Image © Nelson Garrido

Image © Nelson Garrido

"My concern was to maintain the original characteristics of the factory, an industrial complex of English tradition," explains Machado Vaz.

The project is part of a strategy of urban regeneration, where are planned as a set of works for cultural and social facilities that the Chamber has thought for that area that until then was forgotten. The property is integrated in the Urbanization Plan of Matosinhos Sul, by the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.

Image © Nelson Garrido

The new House will be prepared to host exhibitions and presentations, will be equipped with library, shop and documentation center. "The first Portuguese museum exclusively of architecture that has archives and exhibition spaces in the same building," explains Nuno Sampaio executive director of the House of Architecture.

Image © Nelson Garrido

The opening ceremony of the Casa da Arquitetura program was held on November 17 at 12 noon and extended for another two days where the program included the inauguration of the exhibitions: 'Poder Arquitectura', curated by the architects Jorge Carvalho, Pedro Bandeira and Ricardo Carvalho, and the X Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, as well as debates, performances, films, book launches and animation for the families that have been there. 

Its action involves not only architects, but people and entities from various cultural and social areas who encourage and believe in the value of Architecture.

Image © Nelson Garrido

Image © Nelson Garrido

Image © Nelson Garrido

As a mission, the Architecture House highlights some forms of action, such as conferences, workshops and other activities related to the debate, reflection and promotion of Architecture and the Arts. Several diverse programs will be arranged to create a collection of iconographic and emblematic works of the national and international architectural culture, encourage exchanges with national or international counterparts and to foster cooperation with educational institutions, museums, organizations and cultural or business associations and promote activities of a playful, tourist, cultural and social character of the most varied public.

I conclude by saying that architecture has won.

Top image: Casa da Arquitetura. Image © Nelson Garrido

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