Harmony of Architecture and Artwork at Lisbon's Maritime Stations

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.