About this place
Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos is the seat of local government in Matosinhos, the port city next to Porto. The town hall, known as Paços do Concelho, stands in the city centre on Avenida Dom Afonso Henriques and is a notable piece of late twentieth-century Portuguese public architecture.
What is the building?
It was designed by architect Alcino Soutinho and opened in 1987. It is described as the first brand-new institutional building in Portugal erected after the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974. The design is modern yet echoes the traditional "paços do concelho", the buildings where Portuguese municipal councils have long sat.
This is not the first council seat. The municipal heritage inventory lists earlier town halls dating from 1860 and 1920, and the institution's roots go back to the Casa da Câmara created in 1835, when the area was still called Bouças.
What else is nearby?
Right next door is the Palacete do Visconde de Trevões, built for Emídio Ló Ferreira, a mason who worked on Leixões harbour and was later ennobled as a viscount for his philanthropy. Soutinho's winning entry in the town hall competition is credited with saving the villa from demolition. It now houses MUMMA, the city's memory museum. The Matosinhos Historical and Photographic Archive is also close by.
How do you get there?
Take the metro to Câmara de Matosinhos station, opened in 2002, which sits beside the town hall. From central Porto the ride takes a little over a dozen minutes. From the station you can walk on to the seafront, Matosinhos beach and the fish restaurants the town is known for.
When should you visit?
The building is a working office, so weekday office hours suit anyone who needs to go inside. The exterior and surroundings can be seen at any time, and the visit combines easily with MUMMA and a walk to the ocean.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed Matosinhos town hall? Alcino Soutinho; the building opened in 1987.
Can you visit the interior? It is an active administrative building, so most visitors admire the exterior and the neighbouring palacete with its museum.
How do you get here from Porto? By metro to Câmara de Matosinhos station, right by the building.
What is next to the town hall? The Palacete do Visconde de Trevões with the MUMMA museum, plus the municipal historical archive.
Nearby places
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