{"id":11851,"date":"2026-02-16T17:47:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/?p=11851"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T10:27:12","slug":"port-immersion-at-the-serralves-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\/","title":{"rendered":"Porto: Immersion at the Serralves Foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br><strong>To the west of Porto, away from the hustle and bustle of the Ribeira and the crashing waves of Foz, the city is home to a haven of silence and pure lines: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.serralves.pt\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.serralves.pt\/\">Serralves Foundation<\/a>. It reveals the boldest and most contemporary face of Porto. More than a museum, it's an 18-hectare estate where the modernist architecture of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the emblematic Art Deco of the Casa de Serralves and a landscaped park dotted with monumental works of art come together.<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\/#La_Villa_Serralves_Un_manifeste_Art_deco\" >Villa Serralves: An Art Deco manifesto<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\/#Le_Musee_La_signature_dAlvaro_Siza\" >The Museum: The signature of \u00c1lvaro Siza<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\/#Le_parc_Serralves_un_musee_a_ciel_ouvert\" >Serralves Park, an open-air museum<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\/#Un_lieu_de_vie_et_de_debats\" >A place for life and debate<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. As soon as you enter, you&#039;re struck by a striking contrast. Here, the granite typical of Porto fades into the powder pink of an iconic villa and the immaculate white of the museum. Ernstol\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG-300x134.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG-768x343.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG-18x8.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG-600x268.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Casa_de_Serralves_Ernstol_2015-1K-JPEG-36x16.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. As soon as you enter, you're struck by a striking contrast. Here, the granite typical of Porto fades into the powder pink of an iconic villa and the immaculate white of the museum. \u00a9<\/em> <em>Ernstol\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br>The villa and museum open onto a garden filled with sculptures that are sometimes disconcerting, appearing at the bend in the path like unexpected presences. The Fondation hosts major temporary exhibitions and houses the city's main museum of modern art, making it a living space in perpetual dialogue between nature, architecture and contemporary creation.<br><br>The Foundation officially came into being in 1989, in a Portugal transformed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R%C3%A9volution_des_%C5%92illets\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R%C3%A9volution_des_%C5%92illets\">Carnation Revolution<\/a> (1974). At the time, the country was seeking to affirm its cultural openness towards Europe. The Portuguese government, private patrons and companies joined forces to create a major contemporary art centre in Porto with international reach. The choice fell on La Casa de Serralves, located in the hills to the west of Porto.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-la-villa-serralves-un-manifeste-art-deco\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"La_Villa_Serralves_Un_manifeste_Art_deco\"><\/span>Villa Serralves: An Art Deco manifesto<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. View of the rear of the Villa Serralves and its graphic boxwood avenues. B. Postel.\" class=\"wp-image-11871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_mai.-B.-Postel_universvoyage.com-2015-159-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. View of the rear of the Villa Serralves and its graphic boxwood avenues. <em><em><em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em> B. Postel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br>On this property, acquired in the 1920s, the Count <a href=\"https:\/\/www.serralves.pt\/en\/institucional-serralves\/parque-historia\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.serralves.pt\/en\/institucional-serralves\/parque-historia\/\">Carlos Alberto Cabral<\/a>  (1895-1968) built a spectacular villa, completed in the 1930s, an Art Deco masterpiece with geometric lines and refined interiors. Crossing the threshold, it's easy to imagine the Cabral family's social gatherings. The geometric lighting and views of the gardens, framed like tableaux vivants, create a cinematic atmosphere. With its marble, precious woodwork and stylised ironwork, this house remains one of the finest examples of the Art Deco style in Europe and Portugal's most visited cultural institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-le-musee-la-signature-d-alvaro-siza\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Le_Musee_La_signature_dAlvaro_Siza\"><\/span>The Museum: The signature of \u00c1lvaro Siza<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The_empty_chair_madras91_33783810778-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. The empty chair \u00a9 Madras91\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A few steps away, the scenery changes radically. In 1999, a new building was added to the complex: the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mus%C3%A9e_Serralves\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mus%C3%A9e_Serralves\">museum of contemporary art<\/a>, designed by the Portuguese architect <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvaro_Siza\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvaro_Siza\">\u00c1lvaro Siza Vieira<\/a>, winner of the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prix_Pritzker\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prix_Pritzker\">Pritzker Prize<\/a>. The building doesn't try to dominate the landscape, it blends into it. Minimalist, bathed in natural light, the museum hugs the topography of the park and engages in subtle dialogue with the historic villa. The volumes are vast, the walls pure white, leaving plenty of room for the often bold works of international and local artists.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. One of the 41 spiders by Louise Bourgeois. BexWalton\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11856\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_Serralves_Bex-Walton-1K-JPEG-32x24.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. One of the 41 spiders by Louise Bourgeois. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>BexWalton\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The permanent collection features over 4,500 works, mainly from the 1960s to the present day, with a strong emphasis on Portuguese art. It includes major figures such as :<br>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Helena_Almeida\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Helena_Almeida\">Helena Almeida<\/a> (1934-2018), whose performative self-portraits question the body and space; ;<br>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juli%C3%A3o_Sarmento\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juli%C3%A3o_Sarmento\">Juli\u00e3o Sarmento<\/a> (1948-2021), exploring desire and memory; ;<br>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paula_Rego\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paula_Rego\">Paula Rego<\/a> (1935-2022), famous for his powerful, narrative works, often inspired by fairy tales and social tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should be noted, however, that the museum is presenting elitist contemporary works and installations by \u00abhighbrow\u00bb artists, which left us wondering what the point of exhibiting this type of gizmo was... <br>The Foundation does, however, produce ambitious temporary exhibitions, inviting leading international artists and affirming its role in the major European contemporary art networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-le-parc-serralves-un-musee-a-ciel-ouvert\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Le_parc_Serralves_un_musee_a_ciel_ouvert\"><\/span>Serralves Park, an open-air museum<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. View of the pools from the Serralves villa. B. Postel. \" class=\"wp-image-11872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Porto_B.-Postel_universvoyage.com162-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. View of the pools from the Serralves villa. <em><em><em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em> <em>B. Postel. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Designed in the 1930s, the landscaped park is a work of art in itself. Designed by the town-planning architect <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jacques_Gr%C3%A9ber\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jacques_Gr%C3%A9ber\">Jacques Gr\u00e9ber<\/a> (1882-1962), it offers a wide variety of natural and landscaped areas, designed to be explored on foot through different circuits and atmospheres. It is a very modern garden for its time.  In the immediate vicinity of Casa de Serralves, there are formal gardens with carefully laid-out geometrical designs that stretch for almost 500 m towards the River Douro. These formal gardens are characterised by regular flowerbeds, axes of perspective and symmetrical compositions that interact with the villa's elegant fa\u00e7ade. Paths lined with camellias, a rose garden, ponds, box trees and vast lawns give structure to the space.<br>At the end of the main axis, a staircase leads down to a romantic-style pond nestling in a slight depression in the ground. Winding paths lead down to wilder areas, woods and undergrowth with a wide variety of trees (nearly 200 species of native and exotic trees and shrubs), vegetable gardens and even a traditional farmhouse (<em>Quinta<\/em>), a reminder of the estate's rural origins: farm buildings, paddocks and a few animals. <br><br>But what really stands out are the monumental works scattered among the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. Marilyn, 2011, is the name of a sparkling sculpture: gigantic pumps designed by contemporary Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. The closer you get to the work, the more the material reveals itself. The glamorous Marilyn is made of stainless steel saucepans and lids. Joseolgon\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves__Joana-Vasconcelos2019_Joseolgon_6-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. Marilyn 2011 is the name of a sparkling sculpture: gigantic pumps designed by the contemporary Portuguese artist, <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joana_Vasconcelos\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joana_Vasconcelos\">Joana Vasconcelos<\/a>. The closer you get to the work, the more its material reveals itself. The glamorous Marilyn is made of stainless steel saucepans and lids. <em><em><em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em> <em>Joseolgon\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here you can discover installations by some of the biggest names in international contemporary art. Around a bend in the grove, you'll come across the famous Giant Planter by <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Claes_Oldenburg\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Claes_Oldenburg\">Claes Oldenburg<\/a> (1929-2022) and his wife <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coosje_Van_Bruggen\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coosje_Van_Bruggen\">Coosje van Bruggen<\/a> (1942-2009), masters of monumental pop art; or a work by Richard Serra, known for his imposing, curving sculptures in corten steel.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. Plantoir (2001) is a sculpture representing a familiar gardening tool, considerably enlarged. Its creators are major Pop Art figures Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Bebatut\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11858\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fundacao_de_Serralves_bebatut_25810606113-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. Porto. Serralves Foundation. Plantoir (2001) is a sculpture representing a familiar gardening tool, considerably enlarged. Its creators are major Pop Art figures Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. <em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em> <em>Bebatut\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Since 2019, a suspended wooden footbridge, the \u00abTreetop Walk\u00bb, has enabled enthusiasts who are not afraid of heights to walk through the canopy several metres above the ground, offering an unparalleled view of the estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-un-lieu-de-vie-et-de-debats\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Un_lieu_de_vie_et_de_debats\"><\/span>A place for life and debate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Portugal. Porto. In the grounds of the Villa Serralves, a pretty pond surrounded by ferns and aquatic plants is home to a colony of frogs. Julian Beckton\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Serralves_Foundation_Julian-Beckton-1K-JPEG-32x24.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Portugal. Porto. In the grounds of the Villa Serralves, a pretty pond surrounded by ferns and aquatic plants is home to a colony of frogs. <em><em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em> Julian Beckton\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Serralves is also a place for reflection. Conferences, festivals, screenings, concerts and educational programmes punctuate the year. Every spring, the \u00abNight of the Museums\u00bb attracts thousands of visitors who take over the park until dawn.<br>In summer, the park is a welcome haven of coolness. It's a great place to stroll at the end of the day, when the golden light of Porto (the famous <em>hora de ouro<\/em> or golden hour) enhances the Villa's pink fa\u00e7ades.<br>What strikes you as you drive through Serralves is the calm and serenity that reigns here, a bucolic interlude far from the crowds of the city centre. The contrast with the historic centre of Porto is striking. Where the Ribeira tells the story of its maritime and commercial past, the Foundation projects the city into the future. It is the beating heart of Portuguese modernity and embodies a Porto that is cultured, daring and in constant dialogue with the world.<br><br>Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Serralves<br>R. Dom Jo\u00e3o de Castro 210<br>4150-417 Porto<br><br><strong>For more information<\/strong><br>Portugal Tourist Office<br>3, Rue de Noisiel<br>75116 Paris<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=office+de+tourisme+du+portugal+%C3%A0+Paris&amp;rlz=1C1GCEU_frFR821FR821&amp;oq=office+de+tourisme+du+portugal+%C3%A0+Paris+&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCggAEEUYFhgeGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHtIBCTEwNzA4ajBqNKgCALACAQ&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#\">01 56 88 31 90<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/visitportugal.com\/fr\">https:\/\/visitportugal.com\/fr<\/a><br><br><strong>Text :<\/strong> Brigitte Postel<br><strong>Photos : <\/strong>As indicated<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To the west of Porto, away from the hustle and bustle of the Ribeira and the crashing waves of Foz, the city is home to a haven of silence and pure lines: the Serralves Foundation. It reveals the boldest face...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,9],"tags":[13,90,333,93,92],"class_list":["post-11851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-portugal","tag-architecture","tag-art","tag-art-contemporain","tag-jardin","tag-musee"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Porto : Immersion \u00e0 la Fondation Serralves - Univers Voyage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"D\u00e9couvrez la Fondation Serralves \u00e0 Porto : un lieu incontournable m\u00ealant mus\u00e9e d\u2019art contemporain, villa Art d\u00e9co et parc paysager de 18 ha.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/port-immersion-at-the-serralves-foundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Porto : Immersion \u00e0 la Fondation Serralves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"D\u00e9couvrez la Fondation Serralves \u00e0 Porto : un lieu incontournable m\u00ealant mus\u00e9e d\u2019art contemporain, villa Art d\u00e9co et parc paysager de 18 ha.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/port-immersion-at-the-serralves-foundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Univers Voyage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/universvoyage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-16T16:47:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T10:27:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Aerial_photograph_of_Parque_de_Serralves_Joseolgon_3-1K-JPEG.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brigitte Postel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UniversVoyage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UniversVoyage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brigitte Postel\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brigitte Postel\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9ea4f1a62da34a53e6429c45a2c9a6a9\"},\"headline\":\"Porto : Immersion \u00e0 la Fondation Serralves\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-16T16:47:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-27T10:27:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1392,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Aerial_photograph_of_Parque_de_Serralves_Joseolgon_3-1K-JPEG.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Architecture\",\"Art\",\"art contemporain\",\"Jardin\",\"Mus\u00e9e\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Europe\",\"Portugal\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/universvoyage.com\\\/porto-immersion-a-la-fondation-serralves\\\/\",\"name\":\"Porto : Immersion \u00e0 la Fondation Serralves - 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