The Casa das Artes was one of Eduardo Souto de Moura’s first important works. It was secured by public tender in 1980, after he had worked from 1974–1979 in the practice of Álvaro Siza Vieira, one of Portugal’s finest architects. After receiving his degree, Souto Moura established his own practice and now attracts international attention. The brief for the Casa das Artes was to establish a cultural centre in the gardens of a 1927 manor house and he adopted a minimalist approach. The building has a basement floor and two auditoriums within an amphitheatre used for performances, conferences and exhibitions.