Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto

Portugal’s second-most visited museum stands within a much larger cultural ensemble: Serralves brings together contemporary art, a park, and an Art Deco villa. The museum itself is Álvaro Siza Vieira’s work, and his 1992 Pritzker Prize places him among architecture’s most honored figures. Construction began in 1996 on ground that had previously been the estate’s vegetable gardens; the building welcomed the public in 1999.

Notice, from a safe standstill, how the museum’s long, low form is organized around courtyards. Siza shaped it as a U-like main block with an additional L-shaped section, creating two patios and linking the building closely to the gardens. This is not a neutral container for art: Siza also designed details inside, from lights and rails to door handles and signs.

There are 14 galleries within 4,500 square metres of display space, while the whole building covers 13,000 square metres. The museum is Serralves’s principal exhibition venue, and the park continues the encounter with contemporary art through outdoor sculptures and installations. The wider complex received national-monument status in 2012. On weekdays it opens from 10:00; closing is 18:00 for most of the year and 19:00 from April through September.