Architecture, from Porto

The exhibition, curated by Anneke Abhelakh, explores the complex relationship between architecture and society and highlights Albania’s ongoing transformation.

As a nation in constant reinvention, Albania presents a distinctive environment for architectural experimentation and cultural influence.

The pavilion will feature projects that redefine urban landscapes, public spaces and sustainability, reflecting the complexities of a rapidly evolving society.

In addition, a new book on Albanian architecture will be published in October 2025: ‘The Albanian Files’ presents an extensive collection of architectural works produced in Albania since the early 2000s.

10 May – 23 November 2025

Giardini & Arsenale, Venice

Curated by: Anneke Abhelakh

Commissioned by: Blendi Gonxhja, Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation

The building, redesigned by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and the landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic  in collaboration with OODA, is part of a project that establishes a greater connection between the building and the wider Gulbenkian Garden area, proposing a holistic integration of all the elements of the landscape.

Among the 15 ArchDaily award winners, CAM is the only building to be honoured in Portugal, alongside projects from China, Saudi Arabia, India, France and others. This award annually celebrates the best and most innovative architectural works from around the world. The winners are chosen through a public vote, allowing architectural professionals from all over the world to take part in the selection.

Excited to announce our participation in the second edition of Porto de Arquitetura, an initiative of Casa da Arquitectura and Câmara Municipal do Porto. This event will showcase six contemporary architectural gems, offer guided tours and encourage collective reflection on the transformative power of architecture in shaping the city. We are proud to contribute to this year’s programme with two significant projects:

• March 1st: Liga Portugal Headquarters
  June 28th: M-ODU: Matadouro Outro Destino Urbano

All tours are free and open to the public, with prior registration required. The architects and designers involved will provide valuable insights into the design and construction process, offering a unique perspective on contemporary architecture in Porto. We invite you to join us in exploring the architecture that defines the city.

OODA has been selected for the prestigious AD100 list, organised by Architectural Digest. This selection highlights the most influential architecture and design studios of today that will inspire the future of the sector in 2025.

We are particularly honoured to represent Portugal in this global list, alongside renowned architect Manuel Aires Mateus, the only other Portuguese name included in this edition.

With the ambition to transform spaces and make an impact in the present and the future, this recognition reflects our continuous efforts to explore new ways of thinking and designing.

We are proud to announce the upcoming inauguration of the Arena Liga Portugal, the new headquarters of Liga Portugal, designed by OODA, in Ramalde, Porto, this project embodies our vision of creating architecture that unites football, the city, and the community.

The Arena Liga Portugal is a multifunctional hub that goes beyond office spaces, integrating coworking areas, training facilities, and a startup incubator dedicated to football innovation. Its design features a bold cube clad in white hexagons, symbolizing the goalposts where the magic of football happens, and a green roof that offers elevated views over Ribeira da Granja, enhances the sustainability of the project, and fluidly integrates the building into the urban landscape. At its heart lies a dynamic central plaza, home to a museum, store, auditorium, and public meeting spaces, fostering connection and collaboration.

Located on Myslym Street in a central district of Tirana, where old and new converge, the Ndarja building—designed for residential, hospitality, office, and commercial use— adapts to the ongoing transformation of the urban morphology landscape.Surrounded by lush vegetation and illuminated by a reflective water surface, this space softens the structure’s solidity, allowing the architecture to breathe.

We are very proud to announce that our projects Hoso and Torre 15 have received international recognition at the Architecture MasterPrize 2024! Both were awarded in the Residential Architecture – Multi Unit category, with Torre 15 being voted Best of Best out of 16 exceptional projects.

We are also delighted to announce that OODA has been named Studio of the Year by CONSTRUIR magazine, confirming our prominent position in the architectural scene.

Another incredible award came in the ‘Building of the Year with Aluprof Systems 2024’ competition, where Torre 15 won in the foreign building category.

To round off this series of successes, we won two awards at the LOOP DESIGN AWARDS 2024, with Torre 15 and Hoso winning in the Architecture | Multi-Unit Housing category.

OODA was invited by the University of Miami’s School of Architecture to be involved in various activities during the autumn 2024 semester. We presented a lecture on ‘Housing with 3D Printing’ and the students had the opportunity to visit OODA’s studio in Porto to learn more about our work. In addition, Diogo Brito and Rodrigo Vilas-Boas will be guest critics during the final revision of the course, where the students will develop seven design proposals for Parobé, Brazil. Given the recent floods in the region, the students were challenged to critically reflect on sustainable and resilient responses to post-natural disaster scenarios. This initiative shows the visibility of Portuguese architecture in the US market and academia, but also highlights OODA as a reference in the development of resilient, sustainable and context-specific architectural solutions.

Construction has begun on the Hora Vertikale Towers in Tirana, Albania. The 55,000 square metre project, designed by OODA, is the first building by a Portuguese studio in the country and will be a 140 metre high ‘vertical village’ integrated into a large green park.

Using local materials and inspired by the dynamic energy of Tirana, the project contributes to the city’s rapid transformation, alongside works by MVRDV, Bjarke Ingels and Stefano Boeri.

We’re happy to announce the official groundbreaking of our São Roque project, which aims to redefine urban landscapes through a strong commitment to sustainability and community integration. Follow the development of this project, which introduces a new paradigm of urban living that is in harmony with the environment and enhances the quality of life for future residents.

Our new project programme presents a bipartite logic, consisting of a 3-storey basement dedicated to commerce and services, as well as independent accesses to each of the residential buildings. This bipartite logic is also transposed to the outdoor spaces on floor 1 this is an eminently public area open to the city, on the upper floors the outdoor spaces complement the residential use with a variety of amenities, such as gardens, playground, urban vegetable gardens, paddle tennis, leisure and sports areas.

Bond Tower is our new project in Tirana, over than 50.000 sqm, located at the intersection of Dritan Hoxha Avenue, in the western part of Tirana, a development zone, this 50-floor tower is designed to become an icon, part of the development and modernization of the Albanian capital. The building unites residential, commercial, office and hotel space, reflecting the city’s vibrant urban life.

The Portuguese Architects’ Association has extended an invitation to João Jesus to serve as a juror for Archiprix 2024. João was part of the judging panel, which included renowned architects, urban planners, landscape architects, engineers, and professors, selected to identify and recognize the most notable master’s degree works in architecture from all Portuguese universities.

OODA+MASSLAB+P4 joined forces to create a strategic partnership focused on developing the Companhia Agrícola da Barrosinha Project in Alentejo. This partnership showed its value by winning first place in the competition, a milestone that allowed us to make this ambitious project a reality. This achievement is proof that cooperation through great commitment to innovation in architecture, leads to the fulfillment of our shared vision for a more sustainable and hopeful future.

Multi Unit Housing – High Rise 16+ Floors

Multi Unit Housing – Mid Rise 5 – 15 Floors

We are honored to announce that our projects, Tower 15 and Hoso, have been recognized by the esteemed jury of the 12th Architizer A+ Award!

As the largest awards program dedicated to celebrating the best in architecture, the Architizer A+ Awards received 5,000 projects entries from over 80 countries. Being chosen by such a reputable panel of judges is a distinguished honor.

This is the first time a Portuguese firm has won in the High Rise category, a remarkable achievement given the quality of architecture presented by our competitors with skyscrapers in New York and Brisbane.

Being selected by such a reputable panel of judges is a significant achievement for us. It underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence in architecture. We are proud to stand alongside renowned firms like Tadao Ando, MVRDV, and Foster + Partners.

The results of the FORMA 2023 National Architecture Awards have been announced. And we are proud to announce that Hoso was awarded in the Collective Housing category. This recognition underlines our commitment to quality practice and innovation. We would like to thank everyone involved in making this project a success. And we would like to reaffirm our commitment to bringing architectural good practice to the community.

Tower 15 through Fernando Guerra’s Lens

We are proud to have been selected once again as one of the winners of the prestigious European 40 Under 40 Award. This award, presented annually by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies, recognizes the exceptional accomplishments of 40 talented professionals under the age of 40, celebrating the next generation of European architects and designers.

Hoso has been awarded the Big See 2024 Award. The award ceremony was held at the BIG SEE Awards in Architecture and Interior Design, which will be presented at the BIG Architecture Ljubljana Festival in 2024.

Two of our projects, have been globally recognized for their excellence in design and innovation at the MUSE Design Awards in the Architectural Design – Residential category. HOSO with Platinum Award, and Tower 15 received the Silver Award, distinguishing themselves among over 8,500 entries from around the world.

Hoso was distinguished with the Espaço 2023 Award. The awards ceremony took place at the Casa da Arquitetura in Matosinhos and was attended by the Secretary of State for Housing, Maria Fernanda Rodrigues, who participated in the opening session of the ceremony, and the Mayor of Matosinhos, Luísa Salgueiro.

Hora Vertikale is a new project in Tirana, featuring residential buildings arranged in a vertical settlement—’Hora,’ in ancient Albanian. Beneath, there is a vibrant new park, along with various amenities and opportunities for both residents and visitors. Additionally, the project aims to engage the neighbouring local community. It is conceived as a unique vertical village set amidst a large green city. Intended to vertically portrait Tirana’s chaotic nature, the project places a strong emphasis on sustainability.

Curated by Pedro Gadanho, the exhibition showcases seven Emerging Environmental Practices in Portuguese Architecture, addressing environmental challenges and intertwining with concepts of community, social engagement, and resource scarcity. Supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Generation Proxima will be on display for six months, from October 2, 2023, to March 23, 2024, at the Center for Architecture, AIA NY, in New York.

OODA is featured among 12 Portuguese practices at Dusseldorf City’s Museum in Germany. Curated by Carsten Land, the exhibition unfolds at Stadtmuseum Dusseldorf from September 7, 2023, to January 7, 2024.

We’ve received an invitation to feature in the 61st edition of Archinews. This monograph encompasses an interview with OODA’s partners and features some of our latest projects. The bilingual magazine is available at various architecture bookshops in Portugal.

We are delighted to share that our proposal has been announced the winning design in the international competition for the new headquarters of Klan TV in Tirana, Albania.

In his interview for the podcast ‘No País dos Arquitectos,’ Diogo Brito talks about Matadouro, a project in partnership with Kengo Kuma & Associates. This interview will soon be published on Archdaily and Público.

Accompanied by the entire team, Kengo Kuma visited Matadouro, currently under construction. Matadouro aims to redefine conservation and renovation narratives in the city, providing Campanhã with a benchmark for future developments.

The vision of the international consortium led by MVRDV and OODA, in collaboration with LOLA, Thornton Tomasetti, A400 and Livework studio, was selected to transform Galp Energia’s former refinery in Matosinhos into an eco-city. Around 25 urbanists, landscape architects and engineers now face the challenge of developing the urban renewal project, turning the former refinery into a green and innovative district, bridging the past and future.

We are happy to be part of another partnership with Kengo Kuma Associates. This time with a thrilling project for the south expansion of Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon.

In a city that leverages its contrasts and complements, bridges cannot be an exception.

Diogo Brito and Rodrigo Vilas-Boas were invited by Harvard University to participate as guest critics in the Architecture’s Final Reviews 2022 at the Graduate School of Design in May, reinforcing the significance of OODA’s work the visibility of Portuguese architecture in the USA market and academia.

Our book ‘X!? Ten Years OODA’ was awarded the Gold Medal in Design / Editorial at the XXIV Festival of Clube de Criativos de Portugal. Designed by This is Pacifica and edited by OODA and João Rapagão, X!? is an adventure in technical and artistic exchanges.

The X!? Book is now available at various locations worldwide, including Casa da Arquitectura (Matosinhos); AEFAUP (Porto); Porto Academy Bookshop (Porto); Livraria A+A (Lisboa); Livraria Técnica (Lisboa); NAOS (Madrid); AA Bookshop (London); Librarie Volume (Paris); Librarie Didier (Nancy); Bücherbogen (Berlin); NAI (Rotterdam); and MoMA (New York).

The X!? Book, celebrating 10 years of OODA, has been released. Don’t miss the exhibition ‘Ten Years OODA’ at Casa da Arquitectura, Matosinhos, from November 28th to December 12th, 2021.

FREE ENTRY

Setting up the exhibition.