The East and West Foyers, both with a towering ceiling height (about 17 meters), are a crucial space for the natural light process in the Sala Suggia, receiving the full incidence of sunlight through large windows with wavy glass panels that Rem Koolhaas had used in other projects, but never in such an ambitious way. 

Floor 4

Immediately following the main entrance, visitors access the first functional space of the building, which includes the Ticket Office, Reception, Shop, and Cloakroom, and pass directly underneath the heart of the Casa, the Suggia Hall. In the Lobby, visitors have the opportunity to observe music rehearsals through the perforated aluminium on the wall opposite the counter, which leads them to understand one of the most symbolic objectives of the building, which is to involve the visitor in the musical process preceding any public presentation. On the other side, in six small rehearsal rooms, visible to passers-by, it is possible to observe soloists and small ensembles.

Floor 1

Located above Room 2, the VIP Terrace was originally designed as a technical area inaccessible to visitors. However, during the construction phase, Rem Koolhaas ultimately decided to include this space as an indoor plaza as part of the public access of the Casa.

On the ceiling, a large skylight, which can be mechanically opened, makes the space hybrid, so it is neither fully interior nor exterior, prompting different interpretations depending on whether the window is open or closed.

The terrace is used to support the VIP Room and as a venue for meetings or discussions with composers, as well as lectures on music and architecture.

Floor 7

The Renaissance Room is, first and foremost, a passageway that connects two essential spaces in the building: the Cybermusic and the West Foyer.

The name of the room comes from the tiles that line its walls, featuring a pattern created by two parallelograms and a square, in blue, which is green and white. The inspiration likely came, on the one hand, from the facades of the city itself, which in the 19th century adopted similar patterns. In addition, the optical illusion created by the mosaic of tiles evokes the European Renaissance, a period of cultural, artistic, and scientific explosion when the use of perspective in painting was truly developed. There is also a possible reference to Op Art, an artistic movement in the 1960s that worked with natural effects of cavalier and isometric perspective to create optical illusions, sensations of volume, and optical vibrations so strong they suggested movement.

Floor 4

As the name suggests, the VIP Room was created to be a kind of calling card for Casa da Música, a distinct and particularly formal space within the institution.

At its core was the goal of establishing a bridge between Portuguese and Dutch cultures, not only because Porto and Rotterdam shared the status of European Capital of Culture in 2001 – of seminal importance for Casa da Música – but also because Koolhaas, a Dutchman, was the author of the project for the city’s most emblematic contemporary building. This purpose was fulfilled with the application of tile panels inspired by both cultures, evoking a connection between Portuguese and Dutch ceramists, painters, and potters dating back to the early 16th century and continuing into the mid-17th century. The view from this room offers a comprehensive perspective of Porto, from the pinnacle of the Clérigos Tower to the Atlantic Ocean.

Floor 6

Created parallel to the Orange Room, the Purple Room serves a similar purpose of providing support to the activities of the Educational Services. The purple colour of the room seeks to convey a sense of relaxation and calm.

Floor 4

Developed, like other spaces in the house, with a multifunctional logic, the Orange Room is primarily used to support the Educational Service. It is one of the few spaces in Casa da Música accessible to the public where there is no direct natural light. In compensation, a play of lights has been applied that projects onto the carpeted ramp – the main attraction of the room for children – playing with the concept of a trompe l’oeil window. The orange of the carpet itself conditions the emotions of those entering the room – conveying a sense of proactivity, energy, and assisting the cognitive process of participants in the numerous workshops held there. 

In the Orange Room, there is also an instrument called the Sonorium, an integral part of the Casa da Música’s Hot Spots. The Sonorium reacts not only to the presence but also to the position of a body, variables that influence the sounds previously introduced into its system. The choreographed movement of people allows for the creation of melodic spaces, a fact that proves to be very useful in the psychomotor development of young children. 

Floor 4

Originally designed for the Educational Service, the Cybermusic Room has since been adapted to new and varied functions. Its cladding materials, rubber and polyurethane foam on one side and exposed concrete on the other, create a special acoustic effect. 

 The internal window, overlooking the stage of Sala Suggia, is opened when the performance allows, giving visitors the opportunity to observe the stage, even during daytime concerts and rehearsals. 

Floor 4

Capacity: 60 seated places

This is the second largest concert hall in Casa da Música. Designed for general versatility, it is able to host any kind of event. Its phenomenal acoustics result from the cladding of walls and ceilings with perforated plywood, which is not painted in a conventional manner with spray or brush but dipped in red paint, giving it a very natural tone with slight nuances.

Stage structures, chairs, lights, the sound system, control tables, in fact everything, can be moved or removed. A huge window facing South, essential to ensure the elegance of this space, means that during the day, much of the natural light in the Suggia Hall is filtered, to take on a reddish tone.

Access is through two glass and aluminium doors, integrated into the foyer partition panels, containing a high degree of sound insulation. These doors slide, assisted by a motor at the bottom, and provide a permanent opening safety system from the inside. The floor of the hall and its foyer is made of industrial oak parquet from France, which is painted black.

Floor 5

Capacity: 300 seated / 650 standing

Considered the heart of Casa da Música, the Suggia Hall – named in honour of the Porto cellist Guilhermina Suggia, a world-renowned exponent of the instrument in the first half of the 20th century – serves as the anchor for the entire building, thereby enabling its main pathways to unfold around it. With seven windows connecting it to both the exterior and other spaces, providing different angles of vision, it is one of the few concert halls where music can be played exclusively with natural light.

The decorative arts and key periods of Western Music History receive a special deferential treatment in the Suggia Hall, evident in examples such as the gilded woodwork or the pipe organs. These evocations coexist and interact with a set of unmistakably contemporary elements, including the canopy, the control room, and the maintenance bridge.

The acoustics of the main auditorium are undeniably excellent. All the finishing materials were chosen with this concern in mind: Nordic pine plywood for walls and the ceiling; curved glass for sound wave compensation and divergence, and the fabric for the seats.

Unlike auditoriums exclusively dedicated to classical and symphonic music, Casa da Música also presents other genres, hence the Suggia Hall having galleries for technical lighting equipment above the ceiling and a maintenance bridge crossing it, which can also slide over it. The equitable distribution of sound ensures that all the seats in the hall are excellent.

The arrangement of the chairs, without aisles or a central distribution corridor, provides harmonious access to all seated areas. With this purpose in mind, a sliding mechanism was developed in the seats, allowing a person to traverse an entire row of chairs without anyone having to stand up.

Floors 2 to 4

Capacity: 1,238 seats

Originally designed for the Educational Service, the Cybermusic Room has since been adapted to new and varied functions. Its cladding materials, rubber and polyurethane foam on one side and exposed concrete on the other, create a special acoustic effect. 

 The internal window, overlooking the stage of Sala Suggia, is opened when the performance allows, giving visitors the opportunity to observe the stage, even during daytime concerts and rehearsals. 

Floor 4

Capacity: 60 seated places

Developed, like other spaces in the house, with a multifunctional logic, the Orange Room is primarily used to support the Educational Service. It is one of the few spaces in Casa da Música accessible to the public where there is no direct natural light. In compensation, a play of lights has been applied that projects onto the carpeted ramp – the main attraction of the room for children – playing with the concept of a trompe l’oeil window. The orange of the carpet itself conditions the emotions of those entering the room – conveying a sense of proactivity, energy, and assisting the cognitive process of participants in the numerous workshops held there. 

In the Orange Room, there is also an instrument called the Sonorium, an integral part of the Casa da Música’s Hot Spots. The Sonorium reacts not only to the presence but also to the position of a body, variables that influence the sounds previously introduced into its system. The choreographed movement of people allows for the creation of melodic spaces, a fact that proves to be very useful in the psychomotor development of young children. 

Floor 5