There is an area in Porto that was forgotten for several years and is now being reborn. We are talking about the eastern part of the Invincible City, which has been revitalised through both municipal and private initiatives. One of the projects that marks this transformation is M-ODU, which emerged from the rehabilitation of the former Campanhã slaughterhouse. It is a megacomplex that brings together offices, culture and leisure, and is also a space open to the public. “We are going to bring new life and a new way of experiencing this part of the city,” believes Mafalda Ferreira, Community Manager of M-ODU, stressing in an interview with idealista/news that the project will “have an economic and social impact”.
The very rehabilitation of M-ODU – which stands for Matadouro, Outro Destino Urbano (Slaughterhouse, Another Urban Destination) – was designed to “create an impact on society and on the way we live in the city”, which aligns with the mission of Emerge itself, the developer of the project and part of the Mota-Engil group, explains Mafalda Ferreira in the interview. M-ODU will therefore combine offices with a vast cultural, social and leisure area, which will include a museum, a municipal gallery, restaurants and wellness spaces, among others.
“I believe it will significantly improve people’s quality of life in simple ways”
In fact, M-ODU was the location chosen by Mota-Engil to bring together its companies in the North of Portugal. “What will happen, and what is expected to take place in the last quarter of 2026, is that a good part of these buildings will be occupied by companies from the Mota-Engil group,” which is celebrating 80 years of history this year, the manager adds in this interview conducted at the complex.
The opening of M-ODU to companies and the local community is therefore imminent, which promises to change the lives of those who live and work in the eastern part of Porto. The complex manager firmly believes that M-ODU “will significantly improve people’s quality of life in simple ways, such as making it easier to access the other side of the city [with a direct connection to the metro], but also by giving them access to a range of activities that these people do not usually have direct access to”.
Offices in Porto
Main entrance of M-ODU, in Porto
Credits: M-ODU | Emerge
Tell us about the origin of the name M-ODU for this project.
M-ODU is a project for the requalification and regeneration of an old space that is part of the city’s history, which was the industrial slaughterhouse. And we felt that, in doing this regeneration work, we also needed to give the space a new conceptual and brand framework. And therefore, as it is a project developed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, in partnership with the Portuguese architecture firm OODA, we felt that M-ODU somehow related well to this entire context, without losing its identity. Because M-ODU means Matadouro, Outro Destino Urbano (Slaughterhouse, Another Urban Destination), which is the objective of this space.
“We managed to maintain and preserve virtually all the buildings that are part of the original project”
The structural works to convert the former Campanhã slaughterhouse are almost finished. What has remained of the old buildings? And what is still left to be done?
This is a rehabilitation project, so we managed to maintain and preserve virtually all the buildings that are part of the original project, with restoration work having been carried out. The wood we see is the original wood, some pieces that tell the story of the slaughterhouse were kept and restored. At the moment, we are in the finishing phase of the shell, so we are a short time away from being able to hand the buildings over to the companies so that they can begin the fit-out works.
Urban rehabilitation in Porto
Preserved wooden ceilings of the M-ODU buildings
Credits: Gonçalo Lopes | idealista/news
The architectural project was designed by the Japanese studio Kengo Kuma & Associates and the Portuguese firm OODA. What unique architectural features emerged from this partnership?
With shared architectural authorship between the Japanese studio Kengo Kuma & Associates and the Portuguese firm OODA, M-ODU combines global experience and local knowledge to transform the former slaughterhouse, which until then was deactivated and closed to the city. The roof of the complex – a lightweight structure that appears to float above the buildings – is the protagonist of this project, representing Emerge’s bold spirit and vision for this place. Inspired by the Japanese concept of “komorebi” (the light that gently filters through the leaves of trees), it symbolises the fusion between architecture, nature and light.
“M-ODU focuses on sustainability, with the rehabilitation and reuse of existing structures”
How did sustainability guide the rehabilitation of the former slaughterhouse?
We are creating healthier places for people. M-ODU focuses on sustainability, through the rehabilitation and reuse of existing structures, local materials, mechanisms and devices to improve building efficiency, air quality and reduce carbon emissions. Through its sustainable design, construction and operational standards, solutions for energy efficiency, air quality and emissions reduction, the project aims to achieve LEED Gold environmental certification. Examples of this approach include the use of glazing and natural interior light, the recovery of wood from the original buildings, the recovery of stone, thermal comfort in the buildings, the creation of green spaces and the species selected for these spaces, as well as design decisions that encourage green mobility.
Architecture in Portugal
Roof of the M-ODU complex
Credits: M-ODU | Emerge
How many companies do you expect to host at M-ODU? What is the size and area of the companies that will be based here?
The buildings are large and we want companies to occupy the entire building, at least at this stage. We have practically all the buildings occupied. Initially, this was a project that was open to commercial leasing. But in the meantime, as it was a project that took a long time to complete – due to a set of circumstances, issues with the Court of Auditors and then the pandemic – there ended up being a convergence of interests. On the Mota-Engil group’s side, there was a need to find new premises, a space that could house all the companies in the group. The completion of this project ended up coinciding with a period when the group was looking for a space, and so it was almost a perfect storm. What will happen, and what is expected to be in the last quarter of 2026, is that a good part of these buildings will be occupied by companies from the Mota-Engil group. We will be able to have all the group’s companies in a single space.
In addition to the group companies that will be here, a research and innovation project is being developed, which is a project that originates at MEXT (a group company), and which will impact the entire sector, not only nationally but internationally, because it will allow us to think about and work on what the future of construction will be. This is a project that is still under development, but which also positions MEXT and the Mota-Engil group itself at the forefront of the sector.
“It is a space that has no walls, but rather public squares, where we hope to host events open to the public”
What will M-ODU be like? How does it combine offices, culture and leisure areas?
The complex has a set of buildings dedicated to offices and a large restaurant area (one restaurant will occupy 600 square metres), a café, a wellness space and the entire cultural area. We are talking about a project with 26,000 square metres (sqm), with a built-up area of 20,000 sqm. Within this area, there will be a cultural zone of 8,000 sqm with spaces that will be managed directly by the city council, such as the museum, the Municipal Gallery, an artists’ residence… It is also important to mention that this project includes a new police station for the Public Security Police, which is currently located next door in a very small station with limited conditions. It will also host the Manuel António da Mota Foundation. Then there will be a whole range of services that will serve the resident community, making this also a space open to the public. It is a space with no walls, but rather public squares, where we hope to host events open to the public and invite people who live here to also be part of this new community.
Mobility in Porto
Connection between M-ODU and the Porto metro
Credits: M-ODU | Emerge
Mobility was also considered in M-ODU, with the creation of a direct connection to the Porto metro.
Yes, this is a symbolic element of the project, because the city of Porto is – or was – divided by this great scar that cuts across the city, which is the VCI. In addition to requalifying this entire area, this project will allow a physical connection via this bridge from the eastern part to the western part of the city. All the people who live around here will, in some way, improve their quality of life, because they will now have a direct connection to the other side, directly to the metro station that serves many residents of the area.
“What we do is, by rehabilitating the space, ensure that the history and architectural heritage are preserved”
What will we be able to find in the museum that will be created at M-ODU?
It will be the Museum of Convergences, which will house the collection from the private collection of Távora Sequeira Pinto. And it will have a gallery that will be an extension of the Municipal Gallery that already operates at the Crystal Palace. Therefore, a great deal of activity is expected here, some permanent activity associated with the museum and then more itinerant, more fluid cultural programming.
Rehabilitation of the former Campanhã slaughterhouse
Cultural space at M-ODU
Credits: Gonçalo Lopes | idealista/news
Were there changes to the M-ODU project over time? How have you dealt with the challenges of labour shortages and rising construction costs?
It is a project that, due to all circumstances, extended over time, which has had some impact. It is a project with an investment of 40 million euros. What we do, when rehabilitating the space, is to ensure that the history and architectural heritage are preserved, while rehabilitating all the buildings so that they offer the greatest possible comfort.
“What we think, as complex managers, is that there is an entire experience that needs to be developed”
How are the new needs of workers reflected in office finishes and in the activities developed?
The fit-outs, or the way companies then finalise the interior of the buildings, depend very much on each company’s people management and space management policies. Naturally, as we will have companies with different cultures, the fit-outs will never be exactly the same and will respond to the needs of the companies and their teams.
What we think, as managers of the complex, is that there is then an entire experience that needs to be developed. There is a set of activities and programming that will be developed by us as space managers and by the city council itself, with all the cultural activity that will, in some way, contribute to this improvement in the quality of life of residents and workers. In addition, the restaurant spaces and the wellness space will allow people to have access, in the same place, to different services beyond those that companies may provide in their buildings, ultimately improving the living and working conditions of those who are here every day.
Rehabilitation of old buildings
Panoramic view of the works at M-ODU
Credits: Google Maps
What will change in the eastern part of Porto with M-ODU?
I think we are going to bring new life and a new way of living to this part of the city. It is an area that, for different reasons, was gradually left behind and forgotten. In recent years, there has been a great deal of work carried out by the municipality to rehabilitate this part of the city, with this project ending up being the most media-visible or most prominent. Therefore, I believe it will significantly improve people’s quality of life in simple ways, such as simply making it easier to access the other side of the city, but also by giving them access to a range of activities that they do not usually have direct access to.
They will have an open space for socialising and for opportunities as well, because we are talking about around 700 people who will come here every day, who will live in this space, but who will also live alongside the surrounding communities. It will have an economic impact. It will have a social impact. Therefore, I think it is a project with many positive aspects for this part of the city. What is envisioned and what is also part of the mission of Emerge itself, the project developer, is to create an impact on society and on the way we live in the city.