Livraria Lello wins Red Dot award on 9 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 18:07 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSAward and visitor services
- On 9 November 2026, Livraria Lello Curates received the Red Dot: Best of the Best award.
- Postigo now offers daily cultural recommendations beside the new wing in Porto.
- The historic bookshop opened in 1906 and retains its staircase and stained-glass skylight.
Livraria Lello in Porto has received a Red Dot award, and the bookshop’s new Postigo service began welcoming visitors alongside that recognition on 9 November 2026. The announcement links the award-winning Livraria Lello Curates publishing project with a permanent, city-focused service beside the new wing.
Red Dot award brings a new service to Porto
The Livraria Lello Curates imprint was awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Publishing & Print Media category on 9 November 2026. The distinction is the highest recognition within that Red Dot category, and the winning project was developed with the Italian design studio happycentro.
The award was linked to the launch of Postigo and the Red Dot award. Located beside the bookshop’s new wing, Postigo is a cultural concierge service that gives visitors recommendations for local businesses, cultural venues, independent projects and other places connected with Porto’s identity.
Livraria Lello Curates Porto, the first volume in the collection, presents Porto through contemporary cultural curation rather than a conventional tourist guide. Its narrative follows a day in the city through work, leisure and celebration, combining photography, illustrations and text.
Livraria Lello connects 1906 architecture with new spaces
The award arrives as the bookshop continues to operate across its historic building and a recently developed wing. The original building opened in 1906 and remains associated with its crimson staircase, neo-Gothic design, illuminated stained-glass skylight and wooden bookshelves.
The new wing was designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira and extends the bookshop to almost 1,000 square metres. It contains the Manifesto Library, an auditorium for year-round cultural programming and the A4 installation by Ai Weiwei, creating a route where books, architecture and contemporary art meet. The operator describes the expansion as the most significant in the bookshop’s 120-year history.
That physical expansion gives the 9 November 2026 announcement a direct visitor connection: the same new wing that adds exhibition and cultural spaces also provides the setting for Postigo. The service therefore extends the visit beyond the staircase and shelves by directing attention towards other parts of Porto.
Postigo gives the award a practical city link
The new service is open daily beside the wing and is intended for visitors seeking recommendations beyond the places most often photographed or searched. Its focus is Porto, while the wider Livraria Lello Curates project also includes a volume about Portuguese gastronomy and further titles planned for 2027.
The Red Dot profile independently identifies Livraria Lello Curates as a 2026 Best of the Best project in Publishing & Print Media, confirming the design award attached to the November announcement. The official Red Dot project profile names the bookshop and cultural institution as the client for the series.
Visiting Livraria Lello: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The current news peg is the Red Dot: Best of the Best award announced on 9 November 2026, with Postigo located beside the new wing.
- Visitors can find daily cultural recommendations at Postigo, alongside the bookshop’s historic interiors, the Manifesto Library and the A4 installation by Ai Weiwei.
- The venue is at Rua das Carmelitas, 144, 4050-161 Porto, Portugal, in the central Porto city setting identified by the operator.
- Portugal’s official language is Portuguese and its national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Livraria Lello
What happened at Livraria Lello on 9 November 2026?
Livraria Lello Curates received the Red Dot: Best of the Best award in the Publishing & Print Media category, and the announcement accompanied the launch of Postigo.
What is Postigo at Livraria Lello?
Postigo is a cultural concierge service beside the new wing that offers visitors daily recommendations connected with Porto’s local businesses, cultural venues and independent projects.
Where is Livraria Lello and how do you get there?
It is at Rua das Carmelitas, 144, 4050-161 Porto, Portugal. The operator identifies the venue as a bookshop with a historic building opened in 1906 and a new wing designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira.
