Sala VIP is a multi-purpose space, primarily dedicated to performances by small groups, installations or ceremonies. In this room, Rem Koolhaas has paid tribute to Portuguese azulejos, an art form he also learnt in the Netherlands. Each of its panels reproduces originals installed in various museum spaces in Portugal and the Netherlands. This space was designed with the aim of creating a presentation hall, a calling card for Casa da Música. It is mainly used for small events such as press conferences, receptions, cocktail parties or album launch events.

Initially, this space was designed to build a bridge between Portuguese and Dutch cultures.

Indeed, in the early 16th century, the Dutch – particularly in the Delft region – were greatly influenced by the ceramists, painters and potters fleeing the Inquisition, which was eventually established in Portugal in 1536. This left an indelible mark on the ceramics of both countries, shaping the parallel development of this art form until the mid-17th century.
Moreover, to pay tribute to both cultures, around half of the tiles (by surface area) are copies of Portuguese tiles, and the other half are copies of Dutch tiles.

The colour of the azulejos is Delft light blue, also known as ‘Light Blue de Delft’.

The azulejos were painted at the Viúva Lamego factory, one of Portugal’s most traditional ceramic factories. Fernando Humberto, the coordinator of the team of painters working on these panels, left his signature hidden in the grass on the Portuguese panel depicting the Battle of the Conquest of Ceuta, in which Prince Henry appears.

On the Dutch panel Refeição no Terraço (Meal on the Terrace) by Willem Van der Kloet, there is an azulejo (the base of the plate) which is placed upside down, alluding to the following theory: perfection lies with God, so the work of men cannot be perfect.

This room offers a panoramic view of the city of Porto, stretching from the spire of the Torre dos Clérigos to the Atlantic Ocean, revealing the various stages of Porto’s urban development.

Floor 6