Renovation of the Sports Pavilion

The Rosa Mota Pavilion stands as a landmark icon of Porto, designed by architect José Carlos Loureiro in 1951, early in his career. This work boldly broke with tradition by replacing the old Crystal Palace, a faithful replica of the London original demolished to make way for this modern, innovative structure. The simple geometric shape of the spherical dome covering the pavilion, approximately 92 metres in diameter and 31.5 metres high, was a clear manifesto of modernism at the time, reflecting the cultural and social transformation championed by the School of Fine Arts.

Civil engineering played a pivotal role, led by engineers António Soares and Jorge Delgado, who designed the dome’s structure with thicknesses between 5 and 8 cm and introduced pioneering technologies, such as the use of translucent concrete at the dome’s apex, providing natural lighting blended with artificial illumination, a feat engineered by electrical engineer Botelho de Sousa. The entire process was the result of close collaboration between architects and engineers, culminating in one of Porto’s largest domes and an unmissable landmark in Portuguese architecture and engineering.

Now over 60 years old, the structure requires ongoing care, including reinforcement of the thin dome shell and restoration of the translucent concrete, ensuring the preservation of this icon of modernity and innovation.