Harmony of Architecture and Artwork at Lisbon's Maritime Stations

Lisbon’s maritime stations are prominent examples of Portuguese modernism, but accelerating deterioration has left them and the artwork they contain vulnerable.

View of Lisbon harbor (1935) by Willem van de PollWorld Monuments Fund

Lisbon has a long and storied history as a city of seafarers, but by the turn of the twentieth century its famed port was in need of modernization.

Troops departing from Lisbon for Angola during World War I (111) by unknownWorld Monuments Fund

Prior to the expansion of the port, large ships would have to anchor in the Tagus River and wait for smaller vessels to ferry their passengers ashore.

Plan for the reconstruction of Alcântara Port (no date) by Porfírio Pardal MonteiroWorld Monuments Fund

The Estado Novo government of António de Oliveira Salazar saw developing the waterfront as a way of promoting Lisbon as a glamorous travel hub. By the late '30s, the city was receiving 200,000 visitors by sea each year, and new buildings were needed to accommodate this traffic.

Construction of Alcântara Station (1940-3) by Mário NovaisWorld Monuments Fund

Improvements made to the area included the construction of new embankments, river stations, and refrigerated warehouses for cod. Two of the most important additions, however, were Alcântara and Rocha do Conde d'Óbidos Maritime Stations.

Construction of Alcântara Station, Mário Novais, 1940-3, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Construction of Alcântara Station, Mário Novais, 1940-3, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Intended to give steam ship passengers their first impression of Portugal, the stations were designed by Porfírio Pardal Monteiro, a major modernist architect of the period.

Façade of the Hotel Ritz (1959) by Porfírio Pardal MonteiroWorld Monuments Fund

Many of Pardal Monteiro's buildings are characterized by striking symmetries and nods to classicism executed in a more geometric style.

Construction of the Pavilion of Discoveries, designed by Porfírio Pardal Monteiro for the 1940 Portuguese World Exhibition (1939) by Estúdio Horácio NovaisWorld Monuments Fund

His close relationship with Duarte Pacheco, who would go on to become minister of public works, allowed Pardal Monteiro to secure a number of important commissions for civic projects over the course of his career.

View of the marine station of Genoa (1934) by unknownWorld Monuments Fund

Prior to beginning work on Alcântara and Rocha do Conde d'Óbidos, Pardal Monteiro accompanied Pacheco on a tour of France and Italy to study examples of maritime stations in other countries.

View of the Naples Marine Station, unknown, 1938, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Hand-colored postcard of the Naples Marine Station, Unknown, unknown, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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The stations he built on the banks of the Tagus thus draw upon the style of those he saw in Naples, Trieste, Genoa, and La Rochelle.

Interior of Alcântara Station (1982) by Estúdio Mário NovaisWorld Monuments Fund

Pardal Monteiro was interested in the idea of “global design”: unifying buildings with the art and objects within them for an immersive aesthetic experience. He himself recommended that José de Almada Negreiros be selected to decorate the maritime stations’ interiors.

Painted tiles at the Livraria Ática (1955) by José de Almada NegreirosWorld Monuments Fund

A prominent avant-garde figure of mixed Portuguese and Santomean descent, Almada Negreiros worked across a wide variety of media, from poetry to dance, from textiles to prints.

Murals by José de Almada Negreiros inside the Diário de Notícias building, designed by Porfírio Pardal Monteiro (2022) by GualdimGWorld Monuments Fund

He had collaborated with Pardal Monteiro on other projects, such as the Diário de Notícias building, for which he  painted murals relating to Portuguese history.

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Exterior of the Diário de Notícias Building

Exterior of Our Lady of Fátima (1984) by Luís Filipe OliveiraWorld Monuments Fund

One of the most important collaborations between the two was at Lisbon’s Church of Our Lady of Fátima, built by Pardal Monteiro in 1938.

Stained glass by José de Almada Negreiros for Our Lady of Fátima (1984) by Luís Filipe OliveiraWorld Monuments Fund

At the church, Almada Negreiros was able to display the full breadth of his talents: he contributed not only stained glass but also mosaics, metalwork, and murals.

Mosaics by José de Almada Negreiros for the interior of Our Lady of Fátima, Luís Filipe Oliveira, 1984, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Interior of Our Lady of Fátima with gate, mosaics, and stained glass by José de Almada Negreiros, Luís Filipe Oliveira, 1984, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Symbol of the evangelist Mark for Our Lady of Fátima, painted by José de Almada Negreiros, Luís Filipe Oliveira, 1984, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Symbol of John the Evangelist for Our Lady of Fátima, painted by José de Almada Negreiros, Luís Filipe Oliveira, 1984, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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The murals Almada Negreiros painted for the church include the symbols of the evangelists.

School of Letters at the University of Lisbon, designed by Porfírio Pardal Monteiro with murals by José de Almada Negreiros (2011) by João CarvalhoWorld Monuments Fund

Pardal Monteiro and Almada Negreiros would also work together for projects at the University of Lisbon.

View of the murals at Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Station (2022) by Fernanda BrandaoWorld Monuments Fund

Within the stations themselves, Almada Negreiros’s colorful murals complement the sleek, monochromatic stone around them—true to the idea of “global design.”

From the triptych Here Comes the Nau Catrineta That Has a Lot to Tell in Alcântara Station (1943-4) by José de Almada NegreirosWorld Monuments Fund

In 1980, the stations’ murals received official Cultural Heritage designation; the buildings themselves later followed.

Varinas (Fishwives) Unloading Coal (1943-4) by José de Almada NegreirosWorld Monuments Fund

But deterioration has accelerated in recent years. A 2021 study by researchers from Hercules Laboratory at the University of Évora found that the murals were suffering from several problems that resulted in destabilization.

View of the murals at Alcântara Station (2022) by Fernanda BrandaoWorld Monuments Fund

Salt deposits—visible in places as white streaks—had also formed over the paintings. Over time, these can corrode the artworks beneath if left untreated.

View of the murals at Alcântara Station (2022) by Fernanda BrandaoWorld Monuments Fund

One shade of pale green, used here in the angel's garment, has been particularly affected by deterioration.

Roche Conde de Óbidos aerial view (2008) by João FerrandWorld Monuments Fund

Moreover, as sea levels rise with climate change, flooding of Lisbon’s quayside area is projected to worsen, further threatening the buildings and their murals.

View of the murals at Alcântara Station (2022) by Fernanda BrandaoWorld Monuments Fund

In 2022, World Monuments Fund (WMF) elevated the maritime stations to its Watch. Now, it’s supporting the Port of Lisbon Administration’s efforts to conserve the site and prevent future damage.

Northern façade of the Alcântara Marine Station, Port of Lisbon, 2006, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Northern façade of the Rocha Conde de Óbidos Marine Station, Port of Lisbon, 2006, From the collection of: World Monuments Fund
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Alcântara school trip (2006) by Port of LisbonWorld Monuments Fund

It is also hoped that developing tourism at the site might bring economic benefits to the surrounding area.

View of the murals at Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Station (2022) by Fernanda BrandaoWorld Monuments Fund

With such interventions, the stations—and the artwork that adorn them—can continue welcoming visitors to the banks of the Tagus, just as they were originally created to do.

View of the murals at Alcântara Station (2022) by Fernanda BrandaoWorld Monuments Fund

Credits: Story

dos Santos, Mariana Pinto. "On Being Modern: Possibilities of Resistance through Primitivism and Ingenuousness in Ernesto de Sousa and Almada Negreiros." RIHA Journal (2016).

Gil, Milene, Mafalda Costa, Mila Cvetkovic, Carlo Bottaini, Ana Margarida Cardoso, Ana Manhita, Cristina Barrocas Dias, and António Candeias. "Unveiling the Mural Painting Art of Almada Negreiros at the Maritime Stations of Alcântara (Lisbon): Diagnosis Research of Paint Layers as a Guide for Its Future Conservation." Ge-conservacion 20 (2021): 105-117.

Lobo, Paula Ribeiro. "Almada and the Maritime Stations." Revista de História da Arte–série W 2 (2014): 342-352.

Monteiro, João Pardal. "Porfírio Pardal Monteiro and the Global Design." docomomo journal 55 (2016): 24-29.

Sapega, Ellen W. Consensus and Debate in Salazar's Portugal: Visual and Literary Negotiations of the National Text, 1933–1948. Vol. 8. Penn State Press, 2008.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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