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Casa do Design opened its doors on 30 June 2016, with the exhibition BURILADA | arte-factos para a sobrevivência. Since then it has established itself as a central space for the exhibition, dissemination and critical production of knowledge in design with a particular focus on Portuguese design.
The project is the result of a partnership between Matosinhos City Hall and esad-idea, Investigação em Design e Arte (the research centre of ESAD – School of Arts and Design) and intends to consolidate itself through an openness to different areas, themes and audiences, as well as by being receptive to new proposals and future partners, in order to strengthen the dimension of a space that is intended to have national and international coverage and relevance.
Google Arts & Culture
Discover Casa do Design's multimedia exhibition on the Google Arts & Culture platform.

Featured Exhibitions
The Casa do Design program is based on the presentation of temporary exhibitions.
- © Pedro Lobo
Temporary Exhibition – Casa do Design
Learn more - © Pedro Lobo
Temporary Exhibition “Motos de Portugal”, 2017-18
- © ESAD − Escola Superior de Artes e Design
Temporary Exhibition “Imprimere”, 2018-19
- © Inês d’Orey
Temporary Exhibition “Sinal – 100 Anos de Design das Telecomunicações e dos Correios em Portugal”, 2019
- © Inês d’Orey
Temporary Exhibition “Frontiere”, 2019-20
- © ESAD − Escola Superior de Artes e Design
Manuel Lapa
- © ESAD − Escola Superior de Artes e Design
Matéria Viva Museum
Architecture
Casa do Design is part of the Paços do Concelho de Matosinhos building, designed by the architect Alcino Soutinho in 1987, whose project is an important milestone in modern Portuguese architecture. With this building, Soutinho projected a new philosophy associated to Local Government, characterised by transparency, proximity and connection to the citizens. The renovation of the area of the building where the Casa Design is located was carrid out by a team of municipal architects in 2016.
Architect
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Alcino Soutinho
Alcino Soutinho (1930-2013), architect with an intrinsic connection to the "Porto School", obtained his diploma in 1959, at the then School of Fine Arts of Porto. He has always reconciled design practice with teaching, and has been an active figure in the construction of the debate and dissemination of architecture, through participation in conferences, debates and the publication of articles in books and journals. He has held public positions in important institutions, such as the Portuguese Design Centre (1998-2001), the Árvore Artistic Activities Cooperative (2003-2006) or the Architects' Association (1999-2002).
See moreAlcino Soutinho (1930-2013), architect with an intrinsic connection to the “Porto School”, obtained his diploma in 1959, at the then School of Fine Arts of Porto.
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He has always reconciled design practice with teaching, and has been an active figure in the construction of the debate and dissemination of architecture, through participation in conferences, debates and the publication of articles in books and journals. He has held public positions in important institutions, such as the Portuguese Design Centre (1998-2001), the Árvore Artistic Activities Cooperative (2003-2006) or the Architects’ Association (1999-2002).
Architect with a prolific professional practice of approximately five decades, recognised and awarded nationally and internationally, demonstrated by a wide range of works, from north to south of the country. Examples such as the building of the Amadeo de Souza Cardoso Library-Museum, Amarante (1977 – AICA Prize), the restoration of the Castle of Cerveira (1982 – “Europa Nostra” Prize), the Museum of Neo-Realism of Vila Franca de Xira (2001), or the emblematic building of the Matosinhos City Hall (1981), to which the building of the new Florbela Espanca Library and Municipal Gallery of Matosinhos (2005) was associated, attest to the mastery of an architectural language characterised by technical knowledge, constructive solidity and a notable suitability to location and function.