Reclaiming Spaces of Oppression and Transforming into an Architectural Narrative of Freedom in Cadeia e Tribunal da Relação do Porto

SYNOPSIS For nearly half a century, Portugal was under the authoritarian rule of the Estado Novo regime (1933–1974), led by António de Oliveira Salazar and later Marcelo Caetano. This dictatorship maintained strict censorship, political oppression, and limited freedoms, using prisons as tools of control and punishment. One of the defining moments of Portugal’s transition to democracy was the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974, a nearly bloodless military coup led by the Armed Forces Movement (Movimento das Forças Armadas – MFA). Supported by civilians carrying carnations as a symbol of peace, the revolution ended the dictatorship, dismantled colonial rule, and paved the way for a democratic government. By 1976, Portugal had a new democratic constitution, marking a complete political transformation. This thesis explores how architecture can symbolically reflect political and social change by transforming a former prison in Porto into a play funhouse. Prisons, once spaces of confinement and oppression, can be reimagined as places of joy, creativity, and interaction. The existing architecture—rigid cells, narrow corridors, and surveillance structures—will not be demolished but repurposed and rebuilt with modern technology, demonstrating that the same space can carry different meanings depending on its function and design. The same architectural elements that once confined and controlled individuals can be reinterpreted to promote play and liberation. By altering spatial experiences—through color, light, interactive elements, and movement—the perception of a prison can shift from oppression to joy, demonstrating architecture’s ability to reshape collective memory and identity.