While looking for locations for our clients shoots & productions I discovered the modernism side of Portugal which I think fits perfectly in our time. A great mix of excellent craftmanship and industrial influence combined to create something truly modern.
THE GULBENKIAN MUSEUM
Inaugurated in 1969 by the architectural team of Alberto Pessoa, the museum which is set in a lush garden houses the remarkable private collection of Calouste Gulbenkian. The Gulbenkian Foundation was built to supports the arts, science, education and social welfare. Today the foundation hosts a large number of cultural projects and cultural centres and it organizes activities and temporary exhibitions.
You will find Flemish, Dutch, French, English and Italian schools from the 16thto the 19thcentury as well as changing contemporary exhibitions. Between May and September, you can watch outdoor concerts.
The remarkable collection has about three thousand pieces of art which were collected by Gulbenkian himself, who had an excellent taste. The art, which ranges from tapestry, ceramics, jewellery and glassware to paintings, sculpture and furniture is displayed in spacious well lighted rooms.
Booking a room at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz in Lisbon also comes with a ticket to their most stunning “Art Collection”. An eclectic mix of sculptures, paintings and tapestries makes the Hotel a veritable museum of mid-20th–century Portuguese art. While walking to the Breakfast you will see one of the largest and most important privately-owned collections in the Portugal on display within these walls, objects, sculptures, wall art, tapestry and many more hidden treasures are everywhere throughout the hotel.
LISBON FOOD MARKETS
A must, not only when you need to go food shopping but strolling around Lisbon food markets is heaven for everyone with an eye for detail and design. Besides the traditional fresh food on offer you will find beautiful packaged Sardine boxes, olive oil bottles and other labelled products with a very modern, unique packaging.
Visit one of the largest and most famous, the Mercado da Ribeira, where you can try different traditional specialties as well as food from different corners of the world.
A quieter version is the Mercado de Campo de Ourique, less crowded and more relaxed.
The one which inspired us most is the old and small one in the heart of the Bairro alto, their small food hall is painted in great colour combinations and I was taken by the organization in such a small place. Their signature is heaven for everyone who works in graphic Design.
MODERN ARCHITECTURE
You can take a guide or just mark these architectural highlights of modern buildings on your Google map and visit them by yourself. Modernism architecture was dominated by Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza considered Portugal’s greatest living architect and possibly the best the country has ever produced.
- Mar do Oriente by Aires Mateus, 2008
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown by Charles Correa Associates
Fundação Champalimaud - Gare do Oriente Station / Santiago Calatrava
Gare do Oriente Station / Santiago Calatrava - Bar À Margem / João Pedro Falcão De Campos, José Ricardo Vaz
Bar À Margem