MUSEUM OF ART, ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

Description

Essentials about the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in brief

The Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology), usually just called MAAT for short, is housed in one of Lisbon’s most architecturally impressive building ensembles. It consists of the historic Tagus Power Station and the impressive new MAAT building completed in 2016. Located directly on the banks of the Tagus River in the Belém district, MAAT is worth a visit for those interested in topics related to art, architecture and technology. MAAT’s mission is to provide space for discovery, critical thinking, and international dialogue at the intersection of the disciplines of contemporary art, architecture, and technology. In this spirit, national and international exhibitions on contemporary artists, architects and thinkers are shown for all target and age groups.

The architecture of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology

The new MAAT building was designed by British architect Amanda Levete and is probably the most striking new building in all of Lisbon in recent years. With its enormous width and very low height of just 12 meters, the MAAT fits into the backdrop of the Belém district in an extremely restrained manner without obscuring its historic buildings. The building’s undulating exterior makes reference to Portugal’s history as a great seafaring nation. Its oval façade is made up of nearly 15,000 bright tiles, some of them three-dimensional, that react to the ever-changing light on the waters of the Tagus River. The tiles also have a connection to Portugal; they can be understood as a modern variant of the so typical azulejos found on many house facades.

The walkable roof is seamlessly integrated into the waterfront along the Tagus River. So if you don’t plan to go into the museum itself, you should at least walk up to the MAAT’s observation terrace for a fantastic panorama of the river and surrounding sights, such as the famous seafarers’ monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the impressive 25 de Abril Bridge.

The interior of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology

Inside the 3,000-square-meter new MAAT building are four exhibition spaces: the Oval Gallery, the Main Gallery, the Video Room and the Project Room. This is where MAAT’s art exhibitions take place. Located right next to MAAT’s hypermodern new building, the old thermal power plant is a strong architectural counterpoint with its steel and red brick building. Since 1990, it has housed the Museum of Electricity, which became part of MAAT in 2016 and houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the power plant and the development of power generation. The machines are well preserved and some are even cut open so you can look or walk inside. A real treat for power plant fans.