Edifício Douro, Palácio das Artes - Porto, Portugal
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N 41° 08.561 W 008° 36.906
29T E 532300 N 4554667
Ancient Building of the Douro Insurance Company now transformed into the Palace of Arts - Talent Factory.
Waymark Code: WMDAE0
Location: Porto, Portugal
Date Posted: 12/14/2011
Views: 10
THE AWARDThe João de Almada Award is a biennial award created in 1988, this prize is awarded by the city of Porto and aims to reward the architects and owners that have rehabilitated buildings that best represent the city's architectural heritage.
The award was created in homage to João de Almada e Melo that in the eighteenth century had a major role in urban planning the city of Porto.
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THE BUILDINGThe building of the Douro Insurance Company occupies the place where was situated the Convent of Santo Domingo, founded in the thirteenth century. Having gone through some changes, but always as a central location in the city, the whole conventual building burned in 1832 during the Siege of Oporto. With the fire, and opening new roads little remains, it was saved the dormitory. In 1836, was rebuilt to house the Branch of the Bank of Lisbon, Bank of Portugal today. In 1934, the Insurance Company of Douro has acquired it and was housed in this building for decades.
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The Douro building, now the Palace of Arts - Talent Factory, located in Square of S. Domingos, won the João de Almada award that distinguishes the recovery of architectural heritage in the City of Porto. The rehabilitation of this building, owned by the Foundation of Youth, by the architects Alfredo Rise and Paul Henriques was considered "an example of careful appreciation of the heritage."
The property, once part of the Convent of St. Dominic and them the headquarters of the Douro Insurance Company, was opened in December 2009 and its main objective to show good examples of young talents who participate in society and develop initiatives that allow them to claim their autonomy and personal achievement, with a view to full use in this Resource Center for Creative youth and throughout the artistic community, nationally and internationally.
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