First to a cultural site

The upcoming Viseu Arts and Performance Center ( CAEV ) will have 1,765 seats across two distinct spaces and is expected to become the first cultural space in Portugal to receive international sustainability certification, the project's lead architect has revealed.

Manuel Roque, the project's lead architect, described it as "a highly demanding and complex undertaking," involving more than 20 specialists over the course of more than a year. The building will be the country's first cultural facility to obtain LEED certification, an internationally recognized EU standard for sustainable construction.

Roque, whose company is based in Guimarães, noted his previous experience designing cultural spaces such as the Cine Teatro Vila Flot and the Caldas da Rainha theater.

The CAEV will house one of the largest concert halls in Central Portugal, with 1,005 seats, second only to the Convent of São Francisco in Coimbra, which has 1,093. Other districts such as Guarda, Castelo Branco, Leiria, and Aveiro offer less than 1,000.

Speaking at Viseu City Hall , Roque emphasized that the center was designed to be in “constant dialogue with the city and its people” and will serve as a versatile space meant to be visited regularly, “a metaphor for a city” in its own right.

Spanning 13,500 square meters, the building will cover 10,000 square meters and include a 542.2-person main stage, a rehearsal room, exhibition space, administrative offices, a bar, a café-concert area, and a panoramic restaurant with a terrace. It will also feature a 760-seat outdoor amphitheater, green spaces, and an underground parking garage with over 100 spaces.

Located at the city's northern entrance, near the court, the center's materials will reflect its internal functions through subtle color changes created by stained glass.

Mayor Fernando Ruas, who has called the center his “most anticipated project,” hopes to open it himself, though he remains tight-lipped about timelines and political changes after October’s local elections.