The Open House is one of the most anticipated events of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2023 and it happens in the days 13 and 14 of May.
Open House once again opens the doors of 73 public and private buildings of architectural and urban interest throughout the city of Lisbon, allowing the public to explore and discover the city's architectural heritage.
This is a unique opportunity for Lisbon residents and visitors to get to know the city's historic and contemporary buildings up close.. The selection of buildings is made based on criteria of architectural excellence, historical importance and cultural relevance, covering buildings from different periods and styles.
The Open House of the Architecture Triennale 2023 is curated by the Embaixada studio, Matters of Time that proposes looking at the architectures that surround us as living entities
Durante a Open House, visitors have the opportunity to visit public and private buildings that are not normally open to the public like palaces, museums, residences, government buildings, churches, cultural spaces and other places of interest. Visitors can explore the spaces and discover the architectural details that make these buildings true jewels of the city..
We present you 7 of the 73 spaces that will be available to visit, for free. Visits are mostly unbooked and on a first-come, first-served basis.. Appointments are now open.
1-Grilo Palace – Palace of the Dukes of Lafões
Palácio do Grilo is located in an old farm, this vast rural property was continuously explored and intervened for centuries. The current palace, an 18th century architectural complex with a predominantly Neoclassical style, It was built after the earthquake in 1755. The work is based on a summer farm belonging to the Dukes, a palatial structure with a smaller scale and relevance, which in turn was based on old buildings supporting rural production, in a temporal thread that gets lost in the memories of time. From the initial project we can find the main body in L shape with the North facade facing the farm and the main facade facing the gardens. The building underwent additions, but the original plan was never completed, idea abandoned at the beginning of the century. XIX, remaining so to this day. Now, at the Palace, there is a restaurant and performance space that mixes architecture, gastronomy and theater.
More Information (Open House Website)
2-Underdogs Gallery
Underdogs Gallery is an innovative gallery, who works with some of the most renowned international contemporary urban-inspired artists, is an example in the appropriation of the industrial quadrant of the Marvila and Beato area and has been one of the drivers of human qualification in these neighborhoods. Managed by Underdogs, a cultural platform based in Lisbon, brings together two exhibition spaces, a public art program, the production of artistic editions and the development of commissioned artistic projects. The gallery fosters close relationships between creators, the public and the city to promote art as an everyday experience. With an area of 388m2, It is a meeting point where artists and the public can interact and learn together.
More Information (Open House Website)
3-Largo Residencias – Largo do Cabeço de Bola Barracks
This huge complex of buildings has undergone numerous construction phases and has had many lives in the service of the GNR.. At the end of the century. XIX functioned as offices, being later expanded with a garage, gym, dormitories, changing rooms and dormitories. Between 1911 and 1950 served as general workshops and in the following decade housed offices, changing rooms and stable. Later it fulfilled an important housing function with the expansion of barracks facilities and the construction of housing for sergeants., a canteen, butcher and warehouse. Em 2015 definitively ended GNR's activity in space, being in 2020 the PDM was changed to integrate the complex into the National Building Recovery Fund, is at 2022 is temporarily transferred to the Largo Residências cooperative, which opened its doors to the community to carry out cultural activities for social inclusion and local development.
More Information (Open House Website)
4- Shaaré Tikvah Synagogue
The Shaaré Tikvá Synagogue (Doors of Hope) is located inside the block formed by Alexandre Herculano and Salitre streets. The original project began in 1897, having two subsequent rehabilitations by Carlos Ramos, em 1949, and DRM Lisboa and Ricardo Bak Gordon, em 2005. The only thing visible to the street is a gray gate.. This discreet position is justified by the historical oppression that the Jewish community has felt since the 19th century.. XVI and which only ended with the establishment of the republic. Until that moment, Only Catholic temples could have a direct presence on the streets. Rectangular in plan, feature, eclectically combines elements from different origins and periods. One of the peculiarities of the synagogue is the upper gallery, added in the first rehabilitation, for exclusive use by female members of the community.
More Information (Open House Website)
5-Beato Creative Hub
For more than 100 years, Several factories were built in the eastern zone by the Portuguese Army to feed its troops, expanding this industrial complex to 30 000m2. The last one ended in 2011, keeping all machinery on site, expectant. Today we can see the life cycle of buildings in the renovation of the infrastructure that serves the buildings and the requalification of outdoor spaces, in a process of transformation where old spaces coexist, some still closed, ongoing construction and inhabited spaces. Os 18 factory buildings will be converted into services, restoration, creative industries, corporate headquarters, museum center and housing, in a rehabilitation of the human and urban fabric through the revitalization of Lisbon's industrial heritage.
More Information (Open House Website)
6-Marvila Municipal Library
This project constructs a building from scratch and rehabilitates the pre-existing set of Quinta and Palácio das Fontes that belonged to the Duke of Palmela. The library is located in a neighborhood undergoing profound transformation from the originally rural and industrial register,
now being replaced by subdivisions for public collective housing. It is a reading hub, until, training and learning, where cultural programming is thought of as a means of building a community with those who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. With more than 2600m2, is the largest municipal library in Lisbon, organized between auditorium, reading and children's rooms. The multi-height central space shows the importance of geometry and materiality in defining form and proportions for Hestnes Ferreira, as recalls the influence of Louis Kahn's architecture, who you worked with in the USA.
More Information (Open House Website)
7-mint
Built during the Estado Novo regime and still in operation, is located on the regular Parisian-inspired avenues, occupying an entire block without compromising its architectural consistency. It is composed of two
programmatically differentiated bodies: administration and offices, with internal communication between both. Yours
construction was decided under the mandate of minister Duarte Pacheco, having started working in 1941. It is a beautiful example of Jorge Segurado's architecture where the essays on the modernist lexicon multiply down to detail. The rhythmic facades with sequences of ‘half-square’ pillars remain in the minds of those who visit., the covering in a beautiful green tile, as well as details of the main entrance. Em 2012, was classified as a Monument of Public Interest.
More Information (Open House Website)
the organization
The Lisbon Architecture Triennale has been organizing the Lisbon Open House since the first edition and in partnership with EGEAC since 2015.
The Triennial is a non-profit organization, founded in 2007, dedicated to promoting research, encourage debate and inspire transformation through architecture. Every three years, we held a large discussion forum, reflection and dissemination that crosses disciplinary and geographic boundaries. We also organize cycles of architectural conferences and events at the cultural hub where we are based — the Sinel de Cordes Palace.
Information taken from the Open House Website