26 july 2025
Vila Real Music Conservatory receives guided tour by António Belém Lima
On 26 July, at 11 a.m., the Vila Real Music Conservatory will receive a special visit as part of the parallel programme of the exhibition ‘O que faz falta. 50 years of architecture in democracy’, promoted by Casa da Arquitectura. This will be the third stop in a series of guided tours of emblematic works of contemporary Portuguese architecture. TicketsHERE.
The tour will be led by António Belém Lima, the architect responsible for the Conservatory project, offering the public a unique opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the principles, context and intentions that guided the creation of this landmark cultural space. Lasting approximately one hour and limited to 25 participants, this initiative aims to bring the community closer to architecture, promoting knowledge and appreciation of the heritage built in democracy. Tickets available here.
Vila Real Music Conservatory (2001-2004)
On the site of the Convent of São Domingos, adjacent to the Cathedral, the new building was erected from ruins. Access is through a fictional arch, with solid stone masonry, where there used to be a wooden gate. A tunnel that runs alongside the transept of the church leads to a courtyard formed by the wall of the nave and the new building. A long opening cuts through the façade, illuminating the medieval stones. The rehearsal room takes the place of what was probably the cloister. A vertical volume marks the entrance, and a lantern with an oblique outline marks the modern dissonance.
Meeting point: Vila Real Music Conservatory
Address: Av. Carvalho Araújo 71, 5000-657 Vila Real
Time: 11:00 a.m.
About the Itinerary ‘O que faz falta’
Part of the exhibition on display at Casa da Arquitectura until September, the Itinerary includes ten visits to landmark buildings throughout the country, each guided by experts or the authors of the projects. The aim is to introduce the public to different expressions of national architecture developed over the last 50 years of democracy.
Vila Real Music Conservatory (2001-2004)
On the site of the Convent of São Domingos, adjacent to the Cathedral, the new building was erected from ruins. Access is through a fictional arch, with solid stone masonry, where there used to be a wooden gate. A tunnel that runs alongside the transept of the church leads to a courtyard formed by the wall of the nave and the new building. A long opening cuts through the façade, illuminating the medieval stones. The rehearsal room takes the place of what was probably the cloister. A vertical volume marks the entrance, and a lantern with an oblique outline marks the modern dissonance.
Meeting point: Vila Real Music Conservatory
Address: Av. Carvalho Araújo 71, 5000-657 Vila Real
Time: 11:00 a.m.
About the Itinerary ‘O que faz falta’
Part of the exhibition on display at Casa da Arquitectura until September, the Itinerary includes ten visits to landmark buildings throughout the country, each guided by experts or the authors of the projects. The aim is to introduce the public to different expressions of national architecture developed over the last 50 years of democracy.
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