MAAT: Lisbon's new cultural dynamo

A landmark new museum will open its doors in Lisbon in October, not only adding to the cultural diversity of the city, but also marking the culmination of a regeneration of the riverfront in the Belem district in which it resides.

The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) is designed by AL_A, the award-winning architecture studio headed by Amanda Levete, and is the focal point of the EDP Foundation Campus, built on the site of the Tejo Power Station that formerly provided energy to the Portuguese capital. The building will sit alongside the newly transformed plant, itself a gallery space.

"This is a museum that is part of a bigger master plan," says Levete. "The EDP Foundation is extraordinary. It's one of the biggest energy providers in Portugal and this is a massive piece of patronage, so it's a very interesting philanthropic model. It sets an exemple that other utility companies, especially here in the UK, should take note of because it's privately owned but really giving back to the city."

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Since the 19th century, Belem has been effectively cut off from the rest of the capital to its east, separated by a network of railway lines – something the new design has aimed to address in multiple ways. "One big idea that drove our thinking was the increasing need in modern life of places where people can congregate and celebrate, so we've designed the building in such a way as to create new public spaces as well as gallery spaces," says Levete.

"We've designed a bridge that goes from the roof – now a vast public arena – over the rail tracks and the highway, and lands in the square. So there's a literal connection to the city, but also a more metaphysical connection: when you're on the roof, you can either enjoy the fabulous views across the water or turn your back on the water and look to the city. The roof is stepped and, in the summer evenings, you can sit on the steps and watch a movie outdoors, with the romantic backdrop of Lisbon beyond."

MAAT purposely has no grand main entrance. Visitors cross the bridge onto the roof or enter via the waterfront, which has a gradual, extended threshold creating an intuitive passage into the building. Such architectural details were born out of its location – a unique response to the landscape that surrounds it.

"As you walk along the riverfront, there's no shade whatsoever – but the climate is so fabulous in Lisbon and you really need some. MAAT's roof has a huge cantilever, which creates welcome shadow, and we've taken the steps right down in to the water, meaning at high tide they're submerged.

"We designed a series of ceramic tiles to clad the building and they amplify and reflect the lovely interplay between light and water. At sunset, it's as though the water catches fire – it becomes golden, because the sun illuminates the river and the river reflects the sky."

The museum's first exhibition will be a piece commissioned from Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. Pynchon Park – the first instalment of the French artist's multi-part Utopia/Dystopia series – will see a cage placed over the whole of the Oval Gallery, inviting the visitor to become the protagonist in a 21st-century fairy-tale-like installation.

"MAAT is very much a place for performance, site-specific work and interactive pieces like this," explains Levete. "It's quite different from the more conventional art spaces in the old power station – each counterbalances the other."

MAAT opens to the public on 5 October with a 12-hour programme that will include exhibitions, educational events and music performances across the riverside; maat.pt