t The curvaceous MAAT, designed by Amanda Levete Architects
A riot of different architectural styles can be seen around the country. Of course, there are plenty of azulejo-bedecked buildings, but there are also intriguing examples of the Manueline style, which is unique to Portugal, as well as bold contemporary constructions.
t The curvaceous MAAT, designed by Amanda Levete Architects
Lisbon boasts buildings by some of the world’s leading contemporary architects. In the Parque das Nações, you’ll find Santiago Calatrava’s cavernous Oriente station. The sleek MAAT, with its walkable wave-like roof, is a museum showcasing the best in architecture and design. Beyond the capital, look out for Álvaro Siza Vieira’s constructions.
Many churches and palaces were built in the Gothic style in the Middle Ages. Portugal’s oldest surviving palace, the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, was constructed by João I in the late 14th century. Despite its seemingly plain façade, the construction is anything but simple, as seen by the palace’s two distinctive conical chimneys. To see other Gothic gems, head to the Mosteiro de Alcobaça or Bragança’s citadel.
During the Estado Novo, Art Deco ruled. From railway stations, such as Cais do Sodré, to the A Brasileira café, Lisbon is full of bold, early-20th-century designs. Porto’s iconic Fundação de Serralves (Rua Dom João de Castro 210; www.serralves.pt) is partly housed in Portugal’s most notable Art Deco villa. Take a tour with an architect or artist for a greater insight into this fascinating national monument.
Funded largely by the spice and gold trade, the 16th-century Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is a riot of maritime-themed stonework, including ropes and anchors. The style was pioneered by João de Castilho (1470–1552) and Diogo de Boitaca (1460–1528), who built the cloisters here, as well as the Torre de Belém.
Designed by João Frederico Ludovice (1673–1752), the vast Palácio de Mafra is Portugal’s best example of the over-the-top Baroque style, with a 200-m- (656-ft-) long façade and some 156 staircases inside. To the north, Porto was the stomping ground of Italian Nicolau Nasoni (1691–1773), who designed the Torre and Igreja dos Clérigos and Paço Episcopal.
Álvaro Siza Vieira (born 1933) is Portugal’s most famous architect. He won the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1992 for his renovation of Lisbon’s Chiado district, after it was largely destroyed by a fire in 1988. Known for his Modernist clean lines and simplicity, he also worked on the Portuguese National Pavilion – famed for its enormous sagging concrete canopy – built for Expo 98.