The old slaughterhouse in Viana do Castelo will give way to a new technology, science and art center by 2027. The process of reconverting the old municipal slaughterhouse, which has been vacant for 34 years, will begin at the end of the year, with an investment of six million euros, according to Lusa.
The execution of the future Viana S+T+ARTS Centre, the name given to it, was approved under the Green Pact's New European Bauhaus program, guaranteeing funding of around five million euros from the European Union's Cohesion funds. The Viennese project was the only Portuguese one among the 14 awarded by the IUE.
By July 2027, the project will have been implemented and will begin operating without funding. The public presentation of the project, which aims to attract and retain qualified young professionals, and the launch of the public tender for its execution are scheduled for July of this year. With 2,507 square meters of floor space, the old slaughterhouse will be refurbished using circular, energy-efficient and carbon-neutral approaches.
The Viana S+T+ARTS Centre will be a space for co-creation, artistic experiences, creative applications of emerging technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, data processing, scientific demonstrations, education for science, technology and art, exhibitions, residencies for professionals, an eco-startup incubator, public spaces for interaction, among others.
The creation of the center was the result of the creative reuse of the old municipal slaughterhouse, in an approach that revisits the history of the city, heritage and urban renewal, promoting urban regeneration and social inclusion in the area.