Belém Cultural Centre

Situated within an area that contains Lisbon’s most important monuments and is full of symbolism, the Belém Cultural Centre (CCB) is one of the largest public works projects undertaken by the Portuguese State in the 20th century.
The order was the result of an international call for tenders in 1988, in which Risco was part of the team led by Vittorio Gregotti. The specification required the building to be ready to house the first Portuguese Presidency of the European Community in the first half of 1992, before its opening to the public as a cultural centre.
The architectural solution adopted the monumental theme, so as to fit into the atmosphere of an area dominated by large-scale elements like the Jerónimos Monastery and the Praça do Império.
The result is a compact, orthogonal urban structure which seals off the western edge of the compact Praça do Império. It is made up of five modules criss-crossed by streets that make it permeable and allow the public to move around.
The full design includes a Meeting Centre (Module 1), a Performing Arts Centre (Module 2), an Exhibition Centre (Module 3), a hotel (Module 4), and complementary support facilities (Module 5). Modules 1, 2 and 3 have actually been built so far.
In 1993 the Belém Cultural Centre Design received the International Stone Architecture Award.
Since 2007 the Exhibition Centre has been home to the museum of the Berardo Foundation – Portugal’s largest private collection of modern and contemporary art.