The Casa da Música is a concert hall in Porto, Portugal. It was designed by architect Rem Koolhaas and opened in 2005.

Designed to mark the festive year of 2001 in which the city of Porto was designated European Capital of Culture, it was the first building in Portugal aimed from its conception to be exclusively dedicated to music, either in public performances or in the field of artistic training and creation.

Casa da Música's project was set in motion in 1999 as a result of an international architecture tender won by the project presented by Rem Koolhaas – Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Ground was broken in 1999 at the old tram terminus station in Boavista roundabout (Rotunda da Boavista), and Casa da Musica was inaugurated on 15 April 2005.

History

thumb|235px|left|A view of the location along the Avenida da Boavista and neighbourhood of the same name

thumb|left|235px|Casa da Música on opening day (14 April 2005)

On 1 September 1998, the Ministro da Cultura (Ministry of Culture) announced the construction of Casa da Música, during the ambit of Porto's 2001 tenure as the European Capital of Culture.

The building engineers were AFA Arup Group Limited (London), together with Afassociados (Porto). It immediately became a city icon. Featuring a 1300-seat auditorium suffused with daylight, it is the only concert hall in the world with two walls made entirely of glass.

On 5 November 2005, an administrative process was begun to classify the building as Imóvel de Interesse Público (Property of Public Interest).

A foundation, the Fundação Casa da Música, was instituted on 26 January 2006 under decree 16/2006. Scientific articles were also published on special-needs performances and workshops in the Casa da Música in 2007 and 2008.

Resident Ensembles

The Casa da Música Foundation maintains permanent ensembles that ensure a regular program covering various periods of music history.

  • Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música: The institution's main symphonic ensemble, dedicated to performing the great orchestral repertoire, from classicism to 21st-century compositions.
  • Remix Ensemble Casa da Música: A contemporary music ensemble focused on current creation. It is internationally recognized for its regular premieres of works by contemporary composers.
  • Orquestra Barroca Casa da Música: Specializes in the performance of early music (Baroque and Classicism). Its distinguishing feature lies in the use of period instruments and the practice of historically informed performance.
  • Coro Casa da Música: A professional vocal ensemble that presents an eclectic repertoire, ranging from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary vocal languages.
  • Coro Infantil Casa da Música: An artistic and educational group focused on training young voices, integrating the teaching and performance aspects of the institution.

Technological Innovation: Digitópia

Created in 2007, Digitópia is the platform and hub for research, exploration, and digital technological production at Casa da Música. It operates at the intersection of technology, artistic creation, and education. In addition to developing open-source software and digital instruments (such as the Orelhudo! digital educational platform and the DigiBall), Digitópia regularly collaborates with resident groups in the performance of works that require real-time electronics and audiovisual components. The hub also organizes initiatives such as PEMS (Porto Electronic Music Symposium) and explores Artificial Intelligence in participatory musical creation.

Educational Service and Social Inclusion

Casa da Música stands out for its strong commitment to democratizing access to culture through its Educational Service, involving thousands of participants annually. The institution develops strongly inclusive and community-oriented projects, notably Som da Rua (started in 2009, involving vulnerable and homeless citizens), Mundi (focused on the intercultural integration of immigrant communities), and the A Casa Vai a Casa program, which brings music to hospitals, day centers, and social solidarity institutions for populations with reduced mobility. The Foundation also annually promotes the Ao Alcance de Todos festival, primarily dedicated to people with special needs.

Architecture

The building is shaped as a nine-floor-high asymmetrical polyhedron covered in plaques of white cement, cut by large undulated or plane glass windows.