Adaptive reuse of a historic canning factory in Portugal selected in the Creative Re-use category of the Completed Buildings programme

"Canning Factory," a mixed-use development designed by Portuguese architecture studio OODA, has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2026 in the Creative Re-use category of the Completed Buildings programme. The project will be presented alongside leading architectural works from around the world during the festival.

OODA_Fábrica_Photo by Fernando Guerra

Located in Matosinhos, Portugal, the project transforms the former Brandão & Companhia Ltd canning factory into a contemporary mixed-use complex. The site forms part of the Matosinhos Sul Urbanization Plan by renowned architect Álvaro Siza. Situated close to the Atlantic coastline, the design preserves the site's industrial identity while reinterpreting its historic relationship with the sea.

Reactivating an Industrial Landmark

Over the decades, the former factory underwent multiple alterations and changes of use, gradually losing its original architectural character. OODA's proposal restores the building's historic envelope and iconic chimney while introducing a new architectural intervention that accommodates a diverse programme including a medical laboratory, health clinic, offices, commercial spaces, and collective housing. Rather than treating the site as a monument, the project reimagines it as an active piece of contemporary urban infrastructure.

A New Urban Courtyard

The redesign reorganizes the building volumes to create landscaped and permeable open spaces within the block. These new courtyards bring daylight deep into the interior while improving circulation and establishing visual connections between the different programmes. Commercial functions occupy the ground floor, offices are located on the first floor, and residential units are placed on the upper levels. Shared circulation spaces and a central courtyard encourage interaction between residents, workers, visitors, and the surrounding neighbourhood, creating a vibrant mixed-use environment.

Balancing Heritage and Contemporary Architecture

Materiality plays a central role in expressing the dialogue between past and present. Pigmented concrete is paired with stretched aluminium mesh, creating a unified architectural language that distinguishes the original industrial fabric from the newly added volumes. The contrast between the inherited mass of the existing structure and the lightness of the elevated extensions reflects the site's proximity to the sea. By dividing the programme into several interconnected volumes, the project responds sensitively to the surrounding urban context while revitalising the block through both morphological regeneration and programme diversification.

OODA_Fábrica_Photo by Fernando Guerra

About OODA

Founded in 2010, OODA (Oporto Office for Design and Architecture) is an architecture and urbanism practice established by Diogo Brito, Rodrigo Vilas-Boas, and Francisco Lencastre, later joined by João Jesus and Julião Pinto Leite. With offices in Porto and Lisbon, the studio brings together more than 60 architects from various nationalities and operates through a collaborative, partner-led structure. OODA regularly develops projects in partnership with international studios and local architects across different regions.