Casa da Música, Porto

Casa da Música, Porto

Casa da Música is a major concert hall space in Porto, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The building was only finished in 2005 and immediately became an icon in the city.

Casa da Música was built just across from one of the main traffic and business centres of the city. Although construction ran four years over schedule and cost roughly €100M, the building process brought new engineering challenges to create its unusual configuration. The building's design has been highly acclaimed worldwide. New York Times architecture critic, Nicolai Ouroussoff, classified it as the "most attractive project the architect Rem Koolhaas has ever built", adding that it's "a building whose intellectual ardor is matched by its sensual beauty".

Casa da Música has two main auditoriums, though many other of its areas can very easily be adapted for concerts and other musical activity. In 2006, a restaurant was opened at the top of the building.

Tip:
Book a place on a one-hour guided tour. It will take you everywhere in the building – and it's worth it!
If it's not raining, the small hidden open terrace on the rooftop (also housing the restaurant) can be beautiful.
If you're lucky enough to coordinate visiting Porto with a concert (tickets can be bought online), you have a complete experience.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Porto. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Casa da Música on Map

Sight Name: Casa da Música
Sight Location: Porto, Portugal (See walking tours in Porto)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Porto, Portugal

Create Your Own Walk in Porto

Create Your Own Walk in Porto

Creating your own self-guided walk in Porto is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Shopping and Food Tour

Shopping and Food Tour

Renowned for its centuries-old culture and architecture, Porto also boasts a wealth of shopping and dining opportunities. With a mix of the modern and historical, the city represents a fertile ground for bargain hunters, foodies and luxury-seekers alike.

Those on the look-out for trendy clothing and accessories, or wanting to sample some delicious local cuisine, will certainly not be...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Porto's Monuments and Statues

Porto's Monuments and Statues

In general, just like any other European nation, sunny Portugal is rich in history and matching love of monuments. This is more so evident in the country's second largest city of Porto, dotted with statues and sculptures of various sort, decorating the gardens, sidewalks, squares and various corners. Each of them has its own story; some are quite old, while others are not so much and rather...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Porto Introduction Walking Tour

Porto Introduction Walking Tour

After 711 Porto fell to Moorish invaders. The Muslim control existed in the Iberian peninsula until 1491. However, the conquest was not total and in 868 things began to change for the people of Porto.

Vimara Peres, an Asturian count of Gallaecia, came to reconquer for the Christians. He secured the town of Portu Cale and the land of Vila Nova de Gaia. Vimara became the Count of Portucale. From...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Porto Historic Center Walking Tour

Porto Historic Center Walking Tour

The Historic Centre of Porto, dating back to the Medieval times, is the oldest part of the city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Despite all the changes over the years, it has maintained the unique urban characteristics, which are a world apart from other European cities, and preserved much of its legacy from the times gone by.

Firmly set on the hillsides overlooking the mouth of...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Historical Churches

Historical Churches

Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe and is deeply rooted in Christianity, notably Catholicism. The latter explains the abundance of historic chapels, churches, and monasteries in the country. Porto, a city with a rich historical and cultural heritage, boasts several old churches of its own. Remarkable architectural gems, they reflect the city's profound religious tradition.

...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles