The Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto stands on the Campo Alegre campus in Porto, on a steep triangular plot above the Douro. Álvaro Siza, a former teacher at the faculty, designed it. The Ministry of Public Works gave it the Quinta da Póvoa estate in December 1984. Work began with the adaptation of the estate's house and stables in 1985 and 1986.
The main building's first stone was laid in October 1988, and it was built in phases until the second half of the 1990s. A northern block holds the administration, the auditorium, the gallery and the library. Four free-standing southern towers, each four stories tall, hold the studios and face the river.
Siza left out one tower so the courtyard opens toward the Arrábida Bridge. It is part of the UNESCO nomination for Siza's works, which the World Heritage Committee deferred in July 2025.
Comments