amanda levete's MAAT museum in lisbon readies for opening

lisbon architecture triennale 2016: MAAT (the museum of art architecture and technology) is a new institution designed by amanda levete currently nearing completion on the banks of lisbon’s tagus river. with work in portugal now reaching its climax, the building is set to open its doors this october. led by director pedro gadanho, MAAT will explore contemporary culture through visual arts, new media, architecture, technology, and science. ‘MAAT not only supports portuguese artists,’ explains gadanho, ‘but also local curators who are important figures in the cultural development of a place, as producers of content and relationships.’

the building forms the focal point of a campus that hosts a prominent cultural foundation
image © hufton + crow (also main image)

the building forms the focal point of a campus that hosts EDP, a prominent cultural foundation. housed within two buildings — the new kunsthall structure, designed by AL_A, amanda levete’s london-based architecture practice, and a newly renovated power station — MAAT will present a permanent science and electricity display, as well as a wide-ranging program of temporary exhibitions.

the scheme seeks to restore the historic connections between the city and the water
image © hufton + crow

the new building allows visitors to walk over, under, and through the museum complex, with a roof offering sweeping views towards the river. in this way, the scheme seeks to restore the historic connection between the city and the water. by drawing visitors from the heart of lisbon to the views along the tagus estuary via a new footbridge, MAAT seeks to regenerate this riverfront area.

detail of the tiled façade
image © hufton + crow

steps that lead down into the river are covered with water at high tide, creating a constantly changing environment. above, an overhanging façade covered in 3D tiles is a reference to portugal’s rich tradition of ceramics. while the cantilevered structure provides welcome shade, it also reflects sunlight off the water and into the building, tracing the shifting patterns of the tidal changes. MAAT opens to the public on october 5, 2016 with a 12-hour program that features exhibition openings, educational events, performances and music performances.

inside the new kunsthall building
image © hufton + crow

the inauguration of the MAAT on october 5th falls coincides with the opening of the 2016 lisbon architecture triennale. on this occasion, the cultural institution has co-produced and will host one of the event’s four main exhibitions — ‘the form of form’ — and will act as a ‘meeting space’ that can demonstrate the meaning of form in architectural design, past, present and future.

MAAT opens to the public on october 5, 2016
image © hufton + crow

rendering illustrating the planned appearance of the completed project
image © AL_A

a façade covered in 3D tiles is a reference to portugal’s rich tradition of ceramics
image © AL_A

MAAT will explore contemporary culture through visual arts, new media, architecture, technology, and science
image © AL_A

large exhibition spaces allow for a range of layouts
image © AL_A

the new building allows visitors to walk over, under, and through the museum complex
image © AL_A

model indicating the structure’s sinuous shape
image © AL_A

the institution is led by its director pedro gadanho
image © david farran

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amanda levete-designed MAAT museum set to open in lisbon designboom

lisbon architecture triennale

since its creation in 2007, the lisbon architecture triennale (LAT) has fostered knowledge and exchange about contemporary architecture by creating a dialogue open to professionals and the general public alike.

‘the form of form’, LAT’s fourth edition curated by the late diogo seixas lopes and andré tavares, will take place from october 5th – december 11th, 2016. as the title suggests, ‘FORM’ itself will be a main object of exploration, understood both in its role as a universal means of communication within and outside the discipline of architecture, as well as in its power to radically influence the functioning and the development of cities. LAT will investigate interactions and struggles that materialize in the place where architecture is materially built, drawing attention to the role of technologies and rhetoric on the form architecture takes, and on the impact the built environment is able to have on society and in people’s lives.

between the participants, renowned practitioners coming from architecture, design and the visual arts contribute to a multidisciplinary and critical discourse. LAT’s programme – including 4 main exhibitions, 7 satellites, 3 awards, 1 competition, 1 international conference, 14 associated projects, and much more – will lead the audience in an in-depth exploration of lisbon’s urban landscape, allowing visitors to experience unexpected places, tracing new paths in the city and its surroundings.

designboom is an official media partner of the 2016 lisbon architecture triennale. see our ongoing coverage of the event here.

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