Casa da musica

Casa da Música
Outside view of Casa da Música
General information
Type	Concert hall
Town or city	Porto
Country	Portugal
Inaugurated	15 April 2005
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Rem Koolhaas/Office for Metropolitan Architecture Arup-AFA
Structural engineer	Ove Arup & Partners Afassociados
Other information
Seating capacity	1,238+300
Website
Official website
Casa da Música

Coordinates: 41°09′31″N 8°37′51″W / 41.15861°N 8.63083°W / 41.15861; -8.63083

Casa da Música (English: House of Music) is a major concert hall space in Porto, Portugal, which houses the cultural institution of the same name with its three orchestras Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra Barroca and Remix Ensemble. It was designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas with Office for Metropolitan Architecture in association with the agency of scenography dUCKS scéno, the acoustician Renz Van Luxemburg and Arup-AFA. Intended as part of Porto's designation as the European Culture Capital in 2001, it was only finished in 2005. It immediately became an icon in the city. Featuring a 1,300-seat auditorium suffused with daylight, it is the only concert hall in the world with two walls made entirely of glass.

The Building engineers were Arup (London) together with Afassociados (Porto). Inside Outside (Petra Blaisse) designed the large 13 curtains, ranging from 22mx15m to 65mx8m, and the gold leaf wood grain pattern on the large auditorium.

Although the opening day concert took place on 14 April with performances by Clã and Lou Reed, the building was inaugurated on 15 April 2005 by the Portuguese president, when the Prime Minister and many other notable politicians and Porto society were present for a concert by the Orquestra Nacional do Porto.