The “Concerto à Pala,” scheduled for 9:00 PM, will inaugurate a “new regular program of free concerts” aimed at “giving visibility to young talents of national music in an emblematic space of contemporary Portuguese architecture,” announced Rita Tomé Rocha, the executive director of the University of Lisbon (UL) facility, in a statement.
On May 1, the renovated Exhibition Center at the Pavilion of Portugal will open its doors to the public from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM with a display that offers a contemporary visual and literary interpretation of poet Luís de Camões (1524-1580), entitled “Meu matalote e amigo Luís de Camões.”
The exhibition follows the main themes of the works “Os Lusíadas” and Camões’ lyrical poetry, intersecting literature, art, and heritage, and proposes an innovative dialogue between the poet’s text and visual arts, according to UL’s organization.
On May 22, the anniversary of the opening of Expo’98, a new 24-hour study room will be inaugurated for all city students, alongside the Biblioteca Mega Ferreira and the Parque das Nações Interpretative Center. This effort is in partnership with the University of Lisbon, the Lisbon City Council, and the Parish Council of Parque das Nações.
The exhibition “Meu matalote e amigo Luís de Camões” will showcase sculptures by Simões de Almeida and Canto da Maya, and paintings from artists such as José Malhoa, Columbano, Veloso Salgado, Cristóvão de Morais, Lourdes Castro, Géricault, and James Ward, inspired by Titian.
Among the represented artists are also Domingos António de Sequeira, Luca Cambiaso, and Abraham Bloemaert.
Contemporary photography is also integrated into the exhibition, featuring works by Candida Höfer, Thomas Ruff, Jorge Molder, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Luís Pavão.
The pieces have been loaned by institutions such as the National Museum of Ancient Art, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, National Archaeology Museum, Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, Ajuda National Palace, Soares dos Reis National Museum, Grão Vasco National Museum, Gulbenkian Foundation’s Center for Modern Art, Novobanco Photography Collection, and others.
The Pavilion of Portugal was designed by Álvaro Siza for Expo’98, with engineering by Segadães Tavares, and remains a landmark of Portuguese architecture, largely due to its iconic canopy, suspended by steel cables, which was listed among the world’s ten best concrete structures in an article by The Guardian in 2016.
The refurbishment was supervised by the architect’s own studio, adhering to the original design, according to the executive direction.
The facility reopens as a multidisciplinary center, with an Exhibition Center and a Congress Center, ready to host cultural, scientific, and corporate events, in collaboration with UL.
The May programming also includes the center’s participation in the dissemination initiative of contemporary architecture, Open House Lisboa, on May 10 and 11, allowing free visits to the interior of the Pavilion.
Although originally built for Expo’98, the management and refurbishment of the Pavilion of Portugal are integrated into the cultural and academic strategy of the University of Lisbon, which is responsible for its programming and future utilization.
