Portugal attracts tourists from all over the world with its unique sunny beaches and Southern European charm, and it has been named the "Best Travel Destination in Europe." Beyond the allure of its natural beauty, its profound cultural atmosphere also draws countless immigrants and tourists to fall in love with the country. Portugal boasts three cities that have been honored as "European Capitals of Culture." In a city of substance, the landmark is not a modern skyscraper, but rather long-standing historical architecture.
Portugal views its historical and cultural heritage as the soul of the city. The Lisbon Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) will open to the public from October 4th to 5th this year. Together with the art gallery designed by the AL_A architecture firm, the museum will "become one of the most popular cultural destinations in the historic Belém waterfront area of the Portuguese capital."
Pedro Gadanho, the architect and former curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, has been appointed as the first director of MTTADE .
EDP stated in a press release: "MTTA will focus on contemporary culture by combining visual arts and media, architecture and the city, technology and science, as well as society and thought."
The newly built art gallery will add over 7,000 square meters of public space. It is designed as a structure "constructed in the natural environment of this waterfront area that can express the cultural heritage and the future urban feeling of the region."
The architect designed an "aesthetic and elegant wavy roof, creating a new public space above the gallery," and connected this new public space to the street via a gravel path. 3D tiles were used to bring vitality to the exterior, forming "a complex surface that encompasses sensations of water, light, and shadow."
With the launch of the new art gallery, the museum has reconstructed an early 20th-century power station nearby, which will provide permanent electrical energy to the museum and the gallery.
The new building will open to the public this October, featuring the first part of the work "UTOPIA/DYSTOPIA" created by artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster.