There’s a new cultural space on the Guindais hillside. Casa das Máquinas opened on October 29 in the building that, in the 19th century, housed the machinery of the Guindais Funicular. Dedicated to immersive art, it debuts with “Amazonia Immersive Art,” an exhibition about the Amazon that allows visitors to walk through it as if they were stepping inside the artworks, according to Viva Porto.
An immersive journey to the Amazon
The exhibition spans three rooms, with images projected all around the visitor in a 360-degree display that blends painting, photography, and video. Behind the project are two Brazilian women: Roberta Carvalho, who works with video, and the singer Aíla. The exhibition also features works by more than a dozen artists connected to the Amazon, such as Ailton Krenak, the Mahku collective, Elza Lima, and Gê Viana.
Before arriving in Porto, the exhibition traveled to Belém do Pará, where it was seen by more than 30,000 people. This is the first time it has left Brazil, and it is expected to remain at Casa das Máquinas at least through April, according to RTP.
Since May, the Guindais Garden Bar & Restaurant has been operating in the same building, featuring a terrace overlooking the Douro River and the Luís I Bridge.
The house that powered the funicular
The first Guindais funicular, designed by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard, began operating on June 4, 1891. It was powered by cables driven by steam engines. These engines operated out of this building.
The adventure was short-lived. On June 5, 1893, a cable snapped and the funicular ended up crashing near the Luís I Bridge. No one was killed, but the line never reopened. Later, that was where sculptor Henrique Moreira set up his studio. The current funicular, which connects Ribeira to Batalha, didn’t open until 2004.
The restoration was carried out by the architectural firm of Nuno Valentim, who sought to preserve the building’s original character, according to Echo Boomer.
Useful Information
📍Where: Rua de Arnaldo Gama, 101, Porto (Encosta dos Guindais)
📆Hours: daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.)
🎟️Prices: €18 (ages 16 and up), €12 (ages 4–15), and €50 (family ticket: 2 adults and 2 children)
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