Vale Formoso: what new life will this cinema-theater have?

Saturday morning. The Cine-Teatro Vale Formoso, established in 1948 in Porto, has just reopened its doors after more than 30 years of closure, and every corner of the building is already being scrutinized by visitors. While some stroll the stairs and hallways, cell phones in hand, taking photos, others venture into rooms that are usually off-limits: from the dressing rooms (where stars like Marco Paulo and António Calvário have their first look in the mirror) to the outdoor spaces (now overtaken by nature). Not to mention the projection booth on the top floor, which looks more like a time capsule and is expected to retain its enormous machinery as a testament to the past.

But the area that draws most attention is the main room, with about a thousand seats in shades of burgundy , the stage exceptionally accessible to the audience, and, above, a colorful mural attributed to the artist António Pedro Figueiredo. Faces from politics and the arts emerge among the anonymous crowd eager to see how time has passed at the Cine-Teatro. Such is the case with Maria José Carvalho, who descends the stage, leaning on a crutch, and boasts her nearly intact face. "I thought it was much more run-down," she comments, before opening her scrapbook. Festivals were held there, famous names from fado and other genres sang there, and "many artists were born there." Beside him, Arménio Dias da Silva recalls, amused: "O Calvário entered through the back; he had to escape the women."

While some children play among the dust-brushed chairs, adults enter contemplative mode. José and Maria Graziela Fonseca, he 79, she 74, appreciate the scenery they haven't seen in decades and recount memories. Maria Graziela says she used to go there as a child, with her parents, mostly for the films of Joselito and Marisol; and later, with her husband, for other types of events. "I remember seeing a spectacular Sérgio Godinho concert here, before the 25th of April." And also a political meeting with the anti-fascist resistance fighter Virgínia de Moura at the table. "It was in 1973, I was pregnant. I know, because my son was born a month before the Revolution."

Regarding Vale Formoso, Maria Graziela also says: "We hope it becomes a space for the city. I was very sad when it was occupied by the [Universal Church of the Kingdom of God]." Not that she notices any major changes, other than the crosses above the audience and the stage, where the previous owner installed a sort of pool, used for baptisms, according to a member of the organization: men entered on one side, women on the other. During the Estado Novo era, boys and girls were also separated in school, recalls José Fonseca, who attended that "suburb, more peripheral cinema," participating in a play that premiered at his elementary school, featuring "boys disguised as girls."

The news was announced just over a month ago: the Vale Formoso Cinema-Theatre would be reclaiming its original purpose, thanks to the initiative of the entertainment production company UAU. The venue, located in the parish of Paranhos, Porto, was acquired from the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God after five years of negotiations, according to Paulo Dias, general director of UAU, which already owns the Tivoli BBVA Theater and is responsible for programming the Auditório dos Oceanos at Casino Lisboa, under a programming agreement with Estoril-Sol.

In Vale Formoso, the overall investment is estimated at seven million euros, which includes the purchase of the building and renovation work. These renovations are being undertaken by a consortium of architects: Metrourbe and Arsuna. The objective, as stated in a press release, is to "modernize the space, providing it with all the necessary conditions to host a wide variety of shows, concerts, exhibitions, cultural, and corporate events."

"We've been looking for a venue in Porto for over 10 years. We put on a lot of shows at the Sá da Bandeira Theater, the Coliseu, the Super Bock Arena... But we weren't able to grow, and there were many things we already did in other parts of the country, particularly Lisbon, that we couldn't do in the North," explains Paulo Dias, citing the Swan Lake show as an example. "In December, the venues are full with circuses, so it's always a challenge."

It's mid-September—Community Open Day is Saturday the 13th—and the stage is lifting the veil on the project that promises "in-depth renovation work while maintaining the historic appearance" of the Cine-Teatro, in the words of Paulo Dias. What's being presented is a concept study. There's still room for "detailed changes," even with input from third parties, from the artistic community to the general public. It's true that the major intervention will focus on the stage area, which "isn't updated in the slightest." In addition to making the stage "more flexible," the intention is to invest in dressing rooms and areas reserved for creators. Furthermore, the intention is to "maintain the façade, corridors, staircases, and railings."

"The entire façade design is a period piece of immense value. It was a building that stood out, in terms of architectural language, at that time; it has a sculpture on the façade that is a very important piece," says Hélder Cordeiro, founder of MetroUrbe. The main auditorium should maintain its capacity or increase it slightly, without compromising the comfort, accessibility, and visibility of spectators, he assures. The aim is to adapt it "to today's legal obligations and needs" in terms of acoustics, lighting, air conditioning, and fire safety. To this end, the chairs will need to be replaced. The common areas are to be preserved, with "anything that is not original" being removed, such as the ceramic tiles that pave the distribution areas, "a job that was already done by the Church."

The Vale Formoso Cinema-Theatre will also gain a restaurant with a terrace extending outside: the future winter garden. A "beautiful, modern space, full of flowers," describes Paulo Dias, "aimed at attracting people throughout the day" and highly geared toward students. For now, we're savoring the stories shared by those who frequented the venue in their childhood and youth. There are "people talking about their first kiss, their first boyfriend, their first movie, marriage proposals, Carnival parties, New Year's Eve"...

One of the next steps, according to the same director, is "finding financial support, various patrons, people willing to help, companies willing to join the project. This could also involve a new name for the venue itself, following these modern trends now being adopted to bring brands closer to concert halls, like the Tivoli BBVA in Lisbon." The UAU general director hopes to have the doors open "in early 2027." Construction, he estimates, should begin this year.

The programming should be aligned with what's happening at the Tivoli BBVA and the Auditório dos Oceanos, not limited to that, explains Paulo Dias. "We'll lease the space and give other companies and companies the opportunity to stage shows here. We'll create a theater production center, which means we'll produce from here to take to the rest of the country, just as we do in Lisbon to [take to] the rest of the country. This will also give a large group of artists who live in the North, not just in Porto, and don't have the opportunity to showcase their talents," he specifies. "We're already receiving ideas and projects that we'll implement, and they won't be projects for Porto alone, they'll be projects for the country."

Films, plays, dances, concerts, but also children's games, love affairs, and a wide variety of parties. The Cine-Teatro Vale Formoso witnessed all of this in its first incarnation. It opened on December 30, 1948, during the Estado Novo era, with a screening of the Portuguese film "A Life for Two," and until 1984, it remained one of Porto's leading cinema and entertainment venues. The modernist design, designed by architect Francisco Fernandes Granja da Silva, included the construction of a cinema hall, as well as three two-story townhouses on the left side of the facade, notes Hélder Cordeiro, who, as an architect, appreciates the building "as a whole." It covers over 4,200 square meters, including surrounding areas: a complex classified as of municipal interest by the City Council since 2022.

"The original project was even designed with a different ambition, which was to create a plaza" in front, in the space now filled with parked cars, notes the MetroUrbe official. In fact, "one of the pillars" of the current project is to "alter the public space to dignify the building and be suitable for a performance venue." That is, "the sidewalk should be for people" and the parking lot "for picking up and dropping off passengers, for people with reduced mobility." This is something the City Council is responsible for.

While the plans are still pending, some people are taking advantage of the opportunity to draw and paint in the outdoor courtyard. They are members of the Urban Sketchers collective, including Camilo Saraiva, a São Paulo native who has been in Portugal for three years. "Whenever a heritage-related event takes place, we go and take a look, get to know the places. This space had been closed for a long time; some people had fond memories of it," explains the Brazilian artist. "I would pass by here and be curious to understand what [the building] looked like and how long it had been closed; when I read the history, I became even more curious." The iconic tower on the facade is already taking shape in its block.

At the doors of the Cine-Teatro, there are Post-its and pens for anyone who wants to leave a message. The result is a testimony that combines nostalgia, joy at the reopening, and hope for the future. These colorful pieces of paper, pasted in a sort of crescendo-shaped mural, read words like these: "My playground on Sunday afternoons, the 70s/80s"; "My grandfather worked here, it's like feeling his presence close again"; "This is where I came to the movies for the first time! I came to see Herbie in the Monte Carlo Rally "; "I've only seen one Indian film [sic], Aina , seven times; my father worked here his whole life"; "For a city of places returned to culture and its citizens!!!" End of show. For now.