European Ribbon

📖  Introduction

One of Lisbon’s youngest museums is MAAT (Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia), the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology, located by the river in the historic district of Belem. Opened in October 2016, the museum consists of two buildings: the former Tejo Power Station, now MAAT Central, and a contemporary, futuristic structure, MAAT Gallery. The complex is connected by the MAAT Garden.

Undoubtedly, the futuristic structure designed by Amanda Levete is the most talked-about and distinctive feature of the entire complex, rightly sparking curiosity and interest.

Visit 🚶‍♀

MAAT Central

Built in 1908, the Tejo Power Station supplied electricity to the entire Lisbon region from 1909 to 1972, serving as a backup to hydroelectric power plants from 1951 onwards. The plant was closed and decommissioned in 1975.

In a new chapter of its history, after an additional period of conservation work, the Tejo Power Station was reopened as the Museum of Electricity. It houses a permanent exhibition titled “Factory of Electricity“, featuring well-preserved original machinery displayed in an impressive industrial building. The exhibition tells the story of the evolution of electricity from the old power plant to renewable energy sources.

The building itself is a unique example of early 20th-century Portuguese industrial architecture, with an impressive iron structure covered in brick and facades that represent various artistic styles from Art Nouveau to Classicism.

MAAT Galery

The modern building designed by Amanda Levete is a powerful structure that harmoniously blends with the landscape. Visitors can walk on, under, and through it, or observe it from the river. The roof is designed as an extension of public space, merging with the adjacent sidewalk. Its overhang provides pleasant shade, captures sunlight reflected from the water, and directs it into the building through skylights. Next to the museum is a footbridge, also designed by Levete and in the same style, allowing passage over the railway line and connecting the waterfront to the city. From the roof, there is a panoramic view of Belem on one side and the Tagus River with the 25th of April Bridge on the other. The waterfront is an integral part of the project, reflected in the museum’s interior.

MAAT Gallery offers over 3,000 square meters of exhibition space spread over two levels that flow seamlessly into each other, symbolizing continuous movement. The central feature is the largest Oval Gallery, a space for temporary exhibitions that impresses with its size, scope, and form.

✔ Planner

• You can find the current MAAT exhibition schedule 🌐  here.
• The museum map is available 🌐 here.