Best Meetings & Conference Centre Europe
Business Destinations Travel Award 2014,2015 & 2017
Best Meetings & Conference Centre Europe
Business Destinations Travel Award 2014,2015 & 2017
Located in the historic city centre of Porto, by the Douro River
Historic building, recovered by Arch. Souto Moura
36 000 m² of flexible area
22 multifunctional spaces
400 parking spaces
Wi-Fi total coverage
Rooms with built-in translation booths
Access for disabled people
Shipping dock
Congresses up to 3000 pax
Banquets up to 1700 pax
Exhibitions up to 10 000 m²
Concerts up to 1200 pax
Cultural environment
Existence of cultural and museological areas inside the building (Museum of Transport and Communications)
1869 – The new Customs House was inaugurated and was very different from the architecture of the older 15th century characteristic buildings from Ribeira.
Built with a central body and two symmetrical wings, Colson essentially used iron in its construction, but with the particularity of using other materials, such as stone, bricks and wood. However, as the construction proceeded, there were many modifications and structure types: stone pillars and vaults in the underground floors and iron pillars and metal and wooden structures in the intermediate floors. In the main body, the last floor is finished with a top layer of oak.
1871 – The new Customs House started to articulate with the urban neighbourhood through Rua Nova da Alfândega, built for that purpose. This street became a decisive structure in the mobility of Ribeirinha, a main road for passage and traffic.
1881 – The Customs House also established a connection with the railway that was installed in the region. On the 17th of February a 1st contract was released, a 2ns on the 15th of December 1885 for the construction of this branch that began on the 14th of July of the same year.
1888 – Conclusion of the railway branch.