Natalia Wolanska

Inspired by the street art culture in the city of Porto, VIVARTE: Cas Criativa is developed around the art community and its festive events.

Porto, a city full of colour, has had a massive boom in both graffiti and street art in the past couple of years. These murals have led to the formation of a whole new community, thereby also paving the way for art-themed gatherings and tours.

VIVARTE: Cas Criativa operates around 2 core programs, the socialisation and gathering program and the art academy program. The social part of the building is designed around the southern part of the site, closer to the outdoor hotspot for murals and street art, acting as a meeting space for those on tours and a gathering space for those wanting to interact with others in the same communities. The academic side focuses on showcasing, learning and practising art skills. From the entrance of this side, you get shown Porto’s artworks from those participating in the studio programs offered on-site. As you move up the building, you have access to the art library and the talk hall, reserved for talks from guest speakers. The final floors offer a range of studio spaces for all ages to help develop and hone art skills and creative minds.

Some distinct features of the design include:

• Southern-facing facade acting as dedicated wall space for murals and street art
• Central courtyard space offering a quiet recreational transition space between the two sides of the building
• Timber pergolas in both the roof garden and the outdoor cafe seating area to minimise sun impact
• Slanted roofs in the top studio spaces for optimal daylight

The name VIVARTE stems from the words ‘viva’ and ‘arte’, meaning living and art, symbolic of the building’s artistic programs and social buzz. Cas Criative translates to the house of creativity, referring to the creative minds and communities it’s designed for.