The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology ( pt, Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia) (MAAT) is a museum in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, Portugal.

The Museum

MAAT is a cultural project for the city Lisbon that is focused on three areas - Art, Architecture, and Technology. The €20m museum sits on the

River Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...

(Rio Tejo) to the west of the city centre. and "one of Europe's most lyrical new museums". It establishes a connection between the new building and the

Tejo Power Station The Tejo Power Station was a thermoelectric power plant owned by the ''Companhias Reunidas de Gás e Electricidade'' (CRGE – United Gas and Electric Companies), which supplied power to the city and entire Lisbon region. It is located in the B ...

, one of Portugal's most prominent examples of industrial architecture from the first half of the 20th century, and one of the most visited museums in the country. The museum is designed by

Amanda Levete Architects AL_A, formerly known as Amanda Levete Architects, is a London-based practice formed in 2009 by Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete CBE. Practice AL_A was formed in 2009 following the end of Levete's 20-year partnership with the lat ...

. MAAT's ambition is to present national and international exhibitions by contemporary artists, architects, and thinkers. The programme also includes various curatorial perspectives on

EDP Foundation EDP may refer to: Organisations Companies * EDP Group, a Portuguese energy company * Electronic Dream Plant, a British manufacturer of electronic musical instruments * EDP Renováveis, a Spanish renewable energy company ** EDP Renewables Nort ...

's Art Collection, reflecting current subject matters and trends. MAAT's programme opened on 30 June 2016 with four exhibitions held in renovated spaces of the Tejo Power Station building. On 5 October of the same year, the new building opened to the public with a large-scale work by French artist

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster (born 30 June 1965, in Strasbourg) is a French visual artist and educator. She is known for her work in video projection, photography, and art installations. She has worked in landscaping, design, and writing. "I alwa ...

, created specifically for this space. This is a project conceived for all kinds of public, of all ages, boasting an educational programme of multidisciplinary activities about art, architecture and technology – all initiatives which encourage creative thinking and new ways of acquiring and developing knowledge. The museum hosted the

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

's "Blue Carpet" event, where all the contestants and their delegations are presented before the press, fans and public, on 6 May 2018. The official Opening Ceremony of the 2018 contest, which will take place at the nearby

Electricity Museum Tejo Power Station (the old Electricity Museum, in Portuguese Museu da Electricidade) is a Cultural center, cultural centre that presents the evolution of energy with a Science museum, Museum of Science and Industrial Archaeology concept, wher ...

. On 19 December, 2019 part of the false ceiling in the entrance of the building collapsed as a result of

storm Elsa A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Architecture museums Art museums and galleries in Portugal Culture in Lisbon Museums in Lisbon Contemporary art galleries in Europe Science museums in Portugal Museums established in 2016 2016 establishments in Portugal 2016 architecture