Upon combining 5,10-dipyridyl-15,20-diphenylporphyrin 1 or its copper metallated complex 2 with metal halides (MX2: M = Zn, Cd, Hg; X = I or Br) five [2 + 2] metallamacrocycles of the square type were obtained and structurally characterised in the crystalline phase by X-ray diffraction methods. Whereas the free porphyrin 1 leads to the formation of homobinuclear metallamacrocycles with both CdI2 and HgI2, a homotetranuclear metallamacrocycle resulting from the metallation of the porphyrin core is obtained in the presence of ZnI2. When using the premetallated copper complex 2, two heterotetranuclear metallamacrocycles are generated in the presence of CdI2 and HgBr2.