Converting a Slaughterhouse to a Carnival Arts Center (CAC)

Since the 13th century until now the State of Portugal has always held a carnival, in the center of an area called Torres Vedras, in the hills of S.Vicente, Portugal. There is a destroyed slaughterhouse and a dilapidated mine. Because it is adjacent to the square, José Neves turned the slaughterhouse into a Carnival Arts Center (CAC), which turned its function into a civil society activity, and built a new city. So that the abandoned building becomes active again and is better maintained.

Slaughterhouse building that has been re-enabled.

When the building is not functioning, the slaughterhouse still has remnants of its iconic value that reflects the identity of the place and the mine. The slaughterhouse which was rehabilitated and converted into a Carnival Arts Center (CAC) contains exhibition space and shops that are directly connected to the road. On one side of the building area, there is an outdoor area that used to be drainage of animal blood but is now converted into a circular staircase located in the outside area. The exhibition area is inside the building, with large windows framing the cityscape. The windows that are applied have large dimensions, especially at the height of the window from the bottom to the ceiling limit, providing more light in the room and giving a more spacious effect to the room.

Outdoor area directly adjacent to the cliff.

The building is in a steep valley with a city view.

The town square is formed from the geometry of the valley on S.Vicente hill so that its shape starts from a steep slope and then continues with a circular shape in the Carnival Arts Center building. The steep slope of S.Vicente hill is directly adjacent to the Carnival Arts Center outdoor area. 

The carnival Arts Center building is expected to accommodate the city’s theater events for the carnival celebration, as well as an area for residents to fulfill their basic needs so that this environment will again become part of the city’s space and time.

Large window openings up to the upper limit of the ceiling.

The interior area that will be the exhibition area.

Carnival Art Centre plans.