2018 INTERNATIONAL STUDY TRIP: Lisbon - a city in the midst of a revolution

John Boxall
The Architecture Club member

Having convinced my long suffering wife Jacky that a weekend in Lisbon with The Architecture Club was a good use of our leisure time, we were given a great intro to the city by Mike Stiff who alerted us all to a TV programme ‘An Art Lovers guide to Lisbon’ a few days before we left.

Full of great expectation we arrived on the same flight as Lynne & Richard Bryant mid Friday afternoon with others arriving before and after. After a quick check in to the nearly finished hotel, Jacky and I headed off for a recce of the area and a quick sharpener before the first organised event; dinner at Restaurante Chapito a Mesa. The ascent was made easier with one of the many lifts thoughtfully provided to cope with the Lisbon topography. Dinner, with fantastic views over the river and a beautiful sunset set us up nicely for the following morning.

Our guide Sven Klöcker, from bau organised through Cultour, took us by minibus to our first stop; Coches Museum by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Ricardo Bak Gordon. Differing opinions were expressed about how successful the austere external areas were, particularly as museum staff whizzed across them at speed to the car park. The interior with oversized feature lifts (similar to Turner Contemporary) led up to the main spaces where the highly decorated coaches contrasted with the simple interiors. Outboard stairs were interesting as was a brief behind the scenes view of the shaded pool area. Coffee and custard tarts revived us for a brief trip across the way to MAAT extension by AL_A Amanda Levete (2016) - a really successful space on top of the gallery being used extensively in the spring sunshine, marred only by some unnecessary low railings. The gallery entrance on the riverside next to the busy walkway and cycle route to the Belem Tower worked well although the finish was a bit rough in places. A quick spin round the exhibition space, more designed for installations than hanging but impressive nevertheless, before lunch again overlooking the river.

Post lunch, a quick bus ride to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation by Alberto Pessoa, Pedro Did and Ruy d'Athouguia opened in 1969 and which for me had the feel of the RFH with some wonderful textile hangings by Jose Negreiros distracting all of us. The considered gardens with the outside auditorium allowed us to wander and enjoy the sunshine. Back on the bus then to Expo 98 with Calatrava’s station canopy being admired by most before on to the Siza Pavilion which we couldn’t get close to as it was being set up to be part of the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest! Nevertheless the exquisite concrete canopy suspended on catenary cables hanging over the external space and framing the view of the river was impressive-even from behind Heras fencing. Dinner was at a traditional central restaurant; Salgadeiras

Sunday saw a change in the weather (rain) and a walking tour of the old centre was informative as to how the older buildings above the ubiquitous retail were often derelict. Returning expats and immigrants from the Portuguese colonies post war were largely rehoused outside the centre which was not considered desirable, leading to the rundown spaces that have been colonised in turn by artists and younger people, perhaps reminiscent of some areas of Berlin. The Siza Restructuring of Chiado seemed successful at bringing in new transport links and allowing new pedestrian routes. Ancient carved graffiti on the derelict cathedral caught the eye. Then over to the castle – some by foot, others by taxi. The terraces and walls giving us a route to the Archaeological Museum by Joao Luis Carrilho da Graca which floated above the ruined walls suspended on six points and ghosted the original layout and remains in a respectful way. A walk down the hill then to the river and along to the Time Out Mercado for one last ‘family meal’. Jacky and I stayed on and visited the Paula Rego museum at Cascais before returning to the UK via the Lisbon airport, like so many a triumph of retail provision over usefulness.

Thanks are due to Lynne for organising everything so well and to all the fellow club members who provided such excellent company.

Cover Photo © Richard Bryant