CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS WORLD 

Porto Santo, Madeira, Portugal

Christopher Columbus World is set to become an extraordinary cultural landmark on Porto Santo, Madeira, designed as a global hub for discovery, exploration, and rum heritage, combining bold architecture, immersive experiences, and innovative exhibitions in one exceptional destination – a legacy to Christopher Columbus and his connection with Madeira and Porto Santo.

The Vision

Christopher Columbus World will be an iconic cultural monument on Porto Santo, celebrating Columbus, Madeira, and the heritage of rum. Designed as an architectural masterpiece, ColumbusWorld will stand alongside the planned Christopher Columbus 1477 Distillery (2027), creating a dual attraction of international significance.

The Experience
Visitors will embark on an interactive journey through the Age of Discovery and the world of rum:

• Immersive Museum & Exhibitions – Columbus’s voyages brought to life with holographics, cinema, and artefacts.
• Auditorium & Cultural Venue – for conferences, plays, concerts, and dance.
• Heritage & Rum Centre – exploring rum’s role across five continents, ending with a guided tasting.
• Hospitality Spaces – restaurant, bars, reading room, and library inspired by exploration.

Architecture
An international design competition will deliver a landmark building on the scale of the Guggenheim Bilbao (pictured on the left) or La Cité du Vin. This competition will be governed by the International Union of Architects’ rules. The architecture will evoke Columbus’s courage, the ocean’s power, and the soul of rum.

Foundation & Structure
Operated by the Christopher Columbus World Foundation (CCWF), a non-profit cultural body:

• Eligible for public and private grants, patronage, and corporate sponsorship.
• Independent from the 1477CC distillery, while benefiting from synergies in tourism and branding.

Why Porto Santo?
The island currently lacks major year-round attractions. ColumbusWorld will:

• Attract hundreds of thousands of cruise and cultural visitors annually. With one-day cruise ship visits (currently, few cruise ships visit the island vs. Madeira)
• Extend the tourism season beyond beach and golf.
• Position Porto Santo as a global cultural destination.

Next Steps

• Secure stage one funding for the building and core facilities.
• Launch an architectural competition with global architects.
• Expand ChristopherColumbus.world to promote Columbus’s Madeira connections and rum heritage.

Conclusion
Christopher Columbus World will be a masterpiece of architecture and culture, uniting history, discovery, and rum. Together with the 1477CC distillery, it will redefine Porto Santo’s identity and attract worldwide attention.

Columbus World

A Monument to Discovery, Culture, and Rum Heritage

We intend to create an extraordinary monument on the island of Porto Santo: ColumbusWorld. This landmark will be more than a building; it will be an architectural masterpiece and cultural destination, celebrating Christopher Columbus, Madeira, and rum.

Positioned alongside the planned Christopher Columbus 1477 Distillery (launching in 2027), ColumbusWorld will become a defining attraction for Porto Santo and Madeira, drawing global visitors and enriching the island’s cultural identity.

Vision & Purpose

Columbus World will be a living cultural hub:

• A Monument for Porto Santo – an iconic structure with bold, contemporary architecture that reflects the courage of discovery, the power of the ocean, and the spirit of rum.
• A Centre for Knowledge & Experience – with an auditorium for conferences, seminars, and workshops; spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions; and interactive displays powered by the latest technology.
• A Cultural Stage – hosting concerts, theatre, dance, film, and immersive performances around the theme of great discoveries.
• A Celebration of Rum & Madeira – culminating in tastings of the finest rums in the world, linking Columbus’s voyages with the heritage of sugar cane and rum-making.

Experiences & Attractions

Visitors will embark on a journey through history, culture, and taste:

• Interactive Museum: Columbus’s journeys, seamanship, and the Age of Discovery, brought to life through multimedia, holographs, and cinematic storytelling.
• Exhibitions & Collections: Priceless artefacts, restored and presented with refined layouts, detailed captions, and immersive technology.
• Reading Room & Cinema: Dedicated to exploration, discovery, and Columbus’s legacy.
• Concerts, Plays, and Dance Shows: Making ColumbusWorld a cultural venue year-round.
• Restaurant, Bars & Library: Offering world-class hospitality with themes inspired by exploration and rum.

ColumbusWorld will be a place where symbolism meets design: sugar cane forms, the swirl of rum in a glass, and bold architectural curves that evoke ships on stormy seas – “seamless, round, intangible, and sensual.”

Architecture & Design

To create a global landmark, we will launch an international architecture competition, seeking a design that rivals icons such as:

• The Guggenheim Bilbao, which attracted over 1.5 million visitors in 2020. (see image above on the left)
• La Cité du Vin, Bordeaux’s wine museum.
• The Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. (see image above on the left)

Architects to be considered include Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Álvaro Siza, Santiago Calatrava, Jeanne Gang, and Ben van Berkel, but it will be an open competion according to the International Conventions.

The result will be a signature building – bold, recognisable, and deeply connected to Columbus, Madeira, and rum.

Foundation & Structure

The Christopher Columbus World Foundation (CCWF), a non-profit and charitable organisation, will own and operate ColumbusWorld, ensuring:

• Independence from the distillery (1477CC), allowing it to seek grants, donations, and patronage.
• Tax advantages for donors and corporate sponsors.
• A sustainable patronage model, inspired by institutions such as the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

ColumbusWorld will thus stand as both a cultural landmark and an economic driver, with potential synergies from the neighbouring distillery.

Rum: A Universal Heritage

Rum is more than a spirit; it is a cultural, historic, and symbolic heritage, linking continents and centuries. At ColumbusWorld, visitors will:

• Explore rum’s evolution from the Middle Ages to the present across five continents.
• Discover its role in shaping societies, traditions, and territories.
• Experience interactive, multisensory exhibits that combine education with pleasure.
• Conclude with a glass of rum (or grape juice) at the distillery, celebrating conviviality and sharing.

The Rum Heritage Centre within ColumbusWorld will defend, promote, and pass on this heritage – not as a static museum, but as an innovative, engaging, and living space that strengthens cultural tourism and connects Porto Santo to the world.

Why Porto Santo?

Today, Porto Santo offers little beyond its beaches, golf, and spas during the off-season. ColumbusWorld will change that by:

• Providing a year-round cultural attraction.
• Serving as a major draw for cruise ships, with day trips bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
• Positioning Porto Santo as a global destination for discovery and rum culture.

Next Steps

• Stage One Funding: Dedicated to the construction of the ColumbusWorld building and initial infrastructure.
• Architectural Competition: To deliver a building as iconic as the Guggenheim Bilbao or La Cité du Vin.
• Website Expansion (ChristopherColumbus.world): Highlighting new research that Columbus may have been born in Madeira, and that he carried rum and sugar cane to the Caribbean – stories central to both ColumbusWorld and the 1477CC distillery.

Conclusion

Columbus World will be a masterpiece of architecture and culture, uniting history, exploration, and rum heritage. Together with the 1477CC distillery, it will place Porto Santo on the world map as a destination of discovery, education, and pleasure – a true legacy of Columbus.

Who will be interested in the ColumbusWorld

• The local community in Porto Santo
• The local government
• Tourists visiting the island
• Hotels and restaurants on the island
• The Ferry company (sailing 6 days a week)
• Airport & T.A.P. (for large planes)
• Travel companies
• Event organisers
• Madeira’s government
• The State of Portugal

Cruise ship tourism

Whereas Cruise ship tourism in Madeira saw record passengers in 2024, only very few cruise ships go to Porto Santo. This could change with the ColumbusWorld and the Rum Heritage Museum.

Cruise tourism in Madeira reached a historic milestone in 2024, with more than 700,000 passengers passing through the region’s ports.

In all, 728,604 passengers and 271,974 crew members were accounted for, representing an increase of 16.68% in passenger movement and 12.3% in the number of crew members, according to the Administration of Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA).

In total, more than one million people, including passengers and crew, passed through the cruise terminal of the Port of Funchal.

“It was a remarkable year. For the first time, we reached the historic mark of 700,000 cruise passengers, which had a multiplier effect on the Madeiran economic fabric, impacting commerce, restaurants, tourist entertainment companies and many other services”, said Paula Cabaço, chairman of the board of directors of APRAM, also highlighting the increase in the number of overnight stays on ships in the Port of Funchal.

Of the 316 ship calls received in 2024, an increase of 13.26% compared to the previous year, 88 were overnight stays. “With more time in port, cruise tourists have more opportunities to explore the city, resulting in a positive impact on the local economy, especially in the areas of catering, commerce, and cultural and leisure activities,” added Paula Cabaço.

2024 also stood out for its debuts, with 23 ships making an inaugural call in Funchal, of which six started sailing this year. “Of the seven new vessels launched last year by the main cruise companies, six called at the Port of Funchal,” said Paula Cabaço, noting that this growth resulted in a direct impact of €61.4 million euros on the regional economy, an increase of 20.3% compared to 2023.

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