Centro Português de Fotografia, Porto

Centro Português de Fotografia occupies a building with an earlier, much harsher purpose: it was once the Cadeia da Relação, the prison associated with Porto’s former appeal court. The photography centre was created in 1997, at a time when photography in Portugal was gaining fresh momentum through schools, festivals and galleries. That revival also drew back photographers who had lived in exile during the Salazar regime, bringing work with international reach into the country’s cultural life.

The centre’s first exhibitions opened in December 1997, using only the ground floor. That limited beginning lasted until 2000. The building then closed for restoration and adaptation, and reopened in 2001, when the centre finally took over the whole former prison.

Eduardo Souto Moura and Humberto Vieira led the architectural work that made this change possible. Today, this is an archival institution as well as a place for photography. If you plan to return, it opens Tuesday to Friday from 10 in the morning until 6 in the evening, and on weekends from 3 until 7 in the afternoon; public holidays follow the weekend timetable, with several major holidays closed.