"Even Donkeys Like" The Casa Das Histórias Museum Says Eduardo Souto De Moura

Why It Matters

The project demonstrates how thoughtful, site‑specific architecture can amplify an artist’s legacy while fostering public acceptance, influencing future museum designs that balance heritage, art, and environment.

Key Takeaways

• Paula Rego requested a modest “house” rather than a grand museum.
• Architect designed varied galleries and an 11‑meter central exhibition hall.
• Site chosen for dense trees; two pyramidal concrete volumes frame it.
• Red concrete echoes historic Raulino style and ages gracefully.
• Building praised universally—“even donkeys like it,” no criticism.

Summary

The video features Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura explaining his commission to create the Casa das Histórias for painter Paula Rego. Rego’s brief was simple: a modest house, not a monumental museum, with specific works to display. Moura responded with a flexible layout of rooms for small lithographs and large canvases, anchored by an 11‑meter‑high central hall for rotating contemporary exhibitions.

Moura chose the site in Cascais after the municipality offered three plots. He selected the densely treed option, preserving the existing canopy and designing two pyramidal concrete volumes that remain visible from the street. The building’s red concrete palette draws on early‑20th‑century architect Raulino, whose dark‑red façades age into richer tones, and the material’s texture mirrors Raulino’s distinctive tile patterns.

Key design gestures include diagonal cuts that create interior windows and benches, linking interior gallery space with the surrounding forest. The central hall’s height accommodates large installations, while the surrounding rooms adapt to varied artwork dimensions. Moura notes the project has faced no criticism—“even donkeys like it”—highlighting its broad acceptance.

The museum exemplifies how contemporary architecture can honor an artist’s vision, respect historic references, and integrate seamlessly with a natural setting, setting a benchmark for culturally responsive design in Portugal and beyond.

Original Description

Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura describes how a handwritten letter from artist Paula Rego shaped the design of the Casa das Histórias museum, in the final instalment of a video series produced by Dezeen.

Speaking in the third instalment of the series, Souto de Moura said the project was driven by a concise and highly specific brief from Rego, who asked him to design "not a museum, but a house".

He added that the clarity of this request set the direction for the building, with the programme organised around the varying scale of her artworks.

Find out more on dezeen.com