Porto Convention Centre

The Porto Customshouse Congress Centre (Portuguese: Centro de Congressos da Alfândega) is a convention centre and former-customshouse situated in the civil parish in Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória, in the northern Portuguese municipality of Porto.

The building is located in the historic centre of the city, along the bank of the Douro River, and was renovated under the direction of the Pritzker-awarded architect Eduardo Souto de Moura.

[2] In 1840, the Ministério do Reino (Minister of the Kingdom) solicited the municipal council architects and public works engineers to evaluate the expropriations and budgets for the new building.

[2] The option to locate the building in Miragaia was floated in 1843, in plans developed by Joaquim da Costa Lima Júnior, city architect.

On 14 June 1857, engineer Plácido da Cunha e Abreu elaborated a new project for the building in the lower quarter.

[2] The association has as its objectives the preservation of infrastructures of recognized historical interest, a centre for document maintenance and the public development wing responsible for transport and communications issues.

[2] The customshouse is situated along the north bank of the Douro River, implanted on a slightly elevated platform relative to the Rua de Miragaia.

[2] The principal facade is oriented to the south, corresponding to the wharf's customshouse, and is marked by a central body surmounted by interrupted cornices and a large triangular pediment.

A perspective of the customshouse along the northern bank of the Douro (foreground)
The visit of King D. Manuel II to the customshouse railway link
A view of the main customshouse building block
One of the vehicles from the Museum of Transport and Communication
The great hall on the second-floor register of the central wing
The main exposition hall
The storage vaults in the main building