The STOP building, recently designated as a Monument of Municipal Interest, currently serves as a cultural hub with 126 shops, primarily hosting music rehearsal rooms and studios.
During a visit to the site, candidate Nuno Cardoso expressed that the center holds “enormous potential, a diamond in the rough” due to the concentration of “so many musicians in a confined space.”
“I leave with clearer ideas on the importance of the City Council being more present and a partner to these artists, who over time have gathered here. We discussed some ideas, particularly the potential for a performance space with ongoing cultural programming, serving as a stage for these artists to begin engaging with future fans,” he stated.
If successful in the October 12 elections, Nuno Cardoso indicated the Porto Council’s willingness to potentially “purchase some stores and, as an owner, partner in the building’s management and contribute to this space’s development.”
“We want a friendly, proactive council. Only this way do we build the city we envisage, which is a supportive, innovative, creative city, positioned to lead the nation,” the candidate affirmed.
Nuno Cardoso aims to create at STOP “an interface between veteran musicians, who have occupied the space for 20 to 30 years, and younger musicians, allowing the latter to grow as artists with the support of their more experienced counterparts.”
“Since younger artists require more affordable spaces, the local government would provide the shops it acquires,” he explained.
The plan also involves establishing performance and small concert venues for musicians. “Taking advantage of the two cinemas and the nightclub that once operated here, now closed,” he noted, could be part of this initiative.
“The Council can also be proactive, possibly renting or purchasing these spaces for musicians’ use. This site needs greater international projection because it is a truly exemplary and intriguing case that emerged spontaneously in Porto and doesn’t exist elsewhere. It’s crucial to leverage this and give it international recognition, for instance, by inviting bands to perform and record here,” he added.
Several stores in STOP were closed in July 2023 following a police inspection.
The center was shut down for lack of usage permits and safety conditions, reopening in August after implementing safety measures.
On July 30, STOP was officially recognized as a monument of municipal interest, as per a notice published in the Diário da República, establishing a 50-meter protection zone around the building.
Contenders for Porto’s City Council are Manuel Pizarro (PS), Diana Ferreira (CDU), Nuno Cardoso (Porto Primeiro), Pedro Duarte (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), Sérgio Aires (BE), current vice-president Filipe Araújo (Fazer à Porto – independent), Guilherme Alexandre Jorge (Volt), Hélder Sousa (Livre), Miguel Corte-Real (Chega), Frederico Duarte Carvalho (ADN), Maria Amélia Costa (PTP), and Luís Tinoco Azevedo (PLS).
The current council comprises a majority of six members from Rui Moreira’s movement and one independent councilor, with the remaining two from PS, two from PSD, one from CDU, and one from BE.
