Serralves Foundation

Situated in the wonderful Serralves Park, right in the Oporto city centre, in the North region of the country, the Serralves Foundation is an European cultural institution focused in contemporary art and environmental issues.

All the area is filled with beauty and creativity, consisting of several spaces, such as the Park, the House, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Library, the Auditorium and the Park.

The Foundation pursues its mission via the Museum of Contemporary Art as a multi-disciplinary centre, the Park as a natural heritage site ideally suited for environmental education and entertainment activities and the Auditorium as a centre for reflection and debate on issues facing contemporary society.

Carlos Alberto Cabral projected the house and gardens area for private purposes. The project was finished in 1940, and already in 1986 the Portuguese State bought all the property, in order to install the future Contemporary Art National Museum, creating in 1989 the Serralves Foundation, known nowadays as one of the major cultural institutions in the Country and certainly the most relevant in all the Northern region of Portugal.

The Serralves Villa is even considered to be one of the best examples of Art Deco in Portugal, designed by Marques da Silva.

The Museum of Contemporary Art was designed by the renowned Álvaro Siza and aims the constitution of a representative collection of Portuguese and international contemporary art, presenting temporary collective and individual exhibitions, organizing pedagogical programmes that widen public interest in contemporary art and encourage stronger ties with the local community and also develops projects with young artists that enable them to affirm their works and further their artistic enquiries.
The Museum’s Collection is constituted by direct acquisitions, works deposited by the State and private collectors and donations.

The fantastic Serralves Park was opened to the public in 1987 and subsequent to other preparation and recovery works was subject to a Recovery and Enhancement Project that was initiated in 2001 and concluded in 2006.
The Park constitutes a significant contribution of education and raising social awareness concerning the importance of protecting landscape heritage, presenting unique spaces, considered often to be one of the Porto’s oasis.

The Serralves Foudation Library is specialized in Contemporary Art and the Serralves House and Park, as well as thematic areas such as Architecture, Nature and Landscaping. This is a reading library with restricted access. Its collections and services are open to any Portuguese or foreign citizens over the age of 16.

The Serralves Auditorium hosts a series of contemporary performing arts, among dance, theatre, music, colloquiums, seminars, among many others.

Serralves Foudantion also offers guided tours to the different spaces, organizes cultural tourism activities, and also provides privileged spaces for children and school trips.