The requalification project of Camões Theatre, home of the National Ballet Company, led by the RISCO architectural firm, was approved in 2023, with requalification and modernisation works beginning in September 2023. The theatrereopened in October 2024.
The investment supports a range of interventions, including:

General refurbishment of the building
Roofing, façade and interior painting, exterior lighting, air conditioning, general lighting, and improved accessibility.

Improving working conditions
New workspaces with more natural light, new sanitary facilities, new dressing rooms, upgraded rehearsal spaces, and new rest and maintenance areas for dancers.

Upgrading technical equipment
Stage machinery, air conditioning, lighting, sound, and video systems.

Optimising space usage
Construction of a multi-purpose physical recovery room and rest area for dancers. New archive, sewing, and meeting rooms.

Enhancing the audience experience
New air conditioning, new shop and ticket office, a new bar area, digital information displays in the foyer, and new seating areas.

Improving energy efficiency
Upgraded lighting, air conditioning, and insulation throughout the building.

With the temporary closure of Teatro Camões, the National Company of Portugal has continued to reinforce its public mission, performing in various cities across mainland Portugal and the islands with both classical and contemporary productions, as well as activities from the Dance Outreach Programme. The daily work of its teams continues at the Victor Córdon Studios and the National Theatre of São Carlos.

The conservation, modernisation and requalification project of the São Carlos National Theatre is being led by João Mendes Ribeiro Studio and Atelier 15. In addition to general conservation, restoration and requalification, the intervention aims primarily to modernise the equipment, most of which is obsolete or no longer in use, to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings, to increase the safety of the teams and the equipment, and to improve the working conditions through new functionalities of the spaces, ensuring the comfort and well-being of the audience.

This investment includes a set of interventions, notably:

General requalification of the building

Rehabilitation, conservation, and restoration of the entire building in particular the roofs, side façades, main auditorium, stage, and orchestra pit; requalification of the box office area with a shop for the public; refurbishment of storage spaces for collections: documentary, audiovisual, scenic, and others; equipping the building with state-of-the-art safety standards for people and assets; improvement in energy efficiency.

Improving working conditions

Reorganisation of administrative and technical services areas; upgrading backstage areas (offices, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, and communal spaces); construction of a canteen/dining room; new workspaces for administrative and technical staff; new rehearsal and study rooms for the São Carlos National Theatre Chorus and the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra.

Modernisation of technical equipment

Including stage machinery and technical equipment, air conditioning, lighting, sound and video systems; improving the technical capacity to host and produce performances on a par with leading European theatres; equipping the theatre with the capacity to present online performances (streaming).

Improving the audience experience

New air conditioning, a new café and a new multi-purpose space for audience engagement projects.

The São Carlos National Theatre will be closed to the public from August 2024 until the end of 2026. This closure represents a challenging and complex undertaking on several levels, both because of the nature of the intervention in a National Monument and because of the management of the resident teams and the planned programming throughout the country. The programme of opera, symphony, choral and choral-symphonic activities will be uninterrupted and will take on a national and public service focus. During the closure period, the Theatre and its artistic ensembles will present their work through a touring programme model, in collaboration with various institutions throughout the national territory. The programme will be anchored in local theatres, museums, libraries, schools and monuments.

Apoio financeiro para a realização da medida de investimento Medida C04-i01 - Modernização da Infraestrutura Tecnológica da rede de equipamentos culturais da componente de investimento RE-C04-i01 - Redes Culturais e Transição Digital do Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência foi aprovado pelo contrato de financiamento entre a Estrutura de Missão Recuperar Portugal (EMRP) e o GEPAC, celebrado no dia 21 de outubro de 2021, e nos termos da Orientação Técnica (OT) Nº 08/C04-i01/2022, aprovada pelo Beneficiário Intermediário e publicada em 29 de junho de 2022.

Aquisição de equipamento de projeção digital de cinema (DCP) e de vídeo, imagem e tecnologia para cineteatros e centros de arte contemporânea públicos, enquadrados na OT Nº 08/C04-i01/2022 do GEPAC, tem um investimento global de 205.000,00€.

Os objetivos do projeto de investimento visam constituir um marco na modernização da infraestrutura tecnológica dos equipamentos culturais públicos e da sua respetiva transição digital no que concerne à preservação futura de obras de arte e património cultural, à experiência cultural, apoio à atividade em áreas culturais com uma forte componente tecnológica e resiliência do sector.