The future of the Super Bock Arena - Pavilhão Rosa Mota starts today

"Where we are standing right now there was stone. Where we are now there was nothing. And the venue we are about to visit, it was a derelict pavilion, which was a disgrace to the city, whose security conditions were extremely poor and of no use. After I was first elected, I visited this place and I was afraid the ceiling would cave in".

"A problem was solved, one that seemed impossible to solve, with significant intervention by the private sector, at zero costs for the City Hall. This problem afflicted and upset people from Porto. And I find satisfaction in this because the public interest of this rather small infrastructure is immeasurable".

These were the words by Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, who was also sad to hear that athlete Rosa Mota would not be present at the venue, as her name is finally inscribed in the building's facade and inside the venue. And now in an honourable way, as it should.

Super Bock Arena - Pavilhão Rosa Mota opening concert will be on 31st October, at 10pm, by the band from Porto Ornatos Violeta. It repeats the following day, at the same hour.

Preserving the old Sports Pavilion, inaugurated in 1954 - and later baptised as Rosa Mota Pavilion - although there was no stone inscribed in the building to indicate that - was the basis for the endeavour that lasted nearly 18 months.

Rui Moreira and his team deemed it was crucial to find appropriate uses for the old building both to benefit the community's culture and identity and to find appropriate uses for the arena, namely concerts, conferences, congresses and other high quality events in Porto.

In November 2018, Porto City Hall announced that the pavilion was to be named Super Bock Arena - Pavilhão Rosa Mota, this being the first time that Rosa Mota, the Portuguese European World and Olympic champion in marathon running would, in fact, have her name inscribed outside and inside the venue.

The purpose of conversion projects is to give new life to old buildings, by respecting the basic principles of adapting old structures and building materials. The result is an exquisite venue, whose original outside structure was mostly maintained and is able to start hosting important events in the Invicta.

The place will be alive as it no longer was for decades. The character of the building is respected whilst incorporating new additions, with changes and upgrades that are added valued to Porto. The potential is here and it will be leveraged.

People expect no less than the best and Porto delivers.