Built for the World Expo in 1998, Alvaro Siza’s Lisbon Pavilion is an elegant and enduring architectural masterpiece. After hearing and reading about the pavilion for years, it was epic to finally have a chance to see the building on a recent trip to Lisbon!
The beauty and ingenuity of the pavilion is in it’s simplicity. The two opposing ends are anchored by two monumental rectilinear masses, articulated as a rhythmic series of blade walls.
Suspended between the masses in dramatic contrast is the pavilion’s signature catenary roof, which shelters a generous 70 by 50 metre plaza. The concrete inverted arch looks impossibly thin and weightless.
The connection between the arched roof and rectilinear masses is articulated by revealing the steel cables that suspended the roof. This detail expresses the structural system designed by famous engineer Cecil Balmond, while also allowing natural light to wash through the clever detailing.
Hear Alvaro Siza explain more about the pavilion in this interesting interview from Dezeen:
Images by Jonathan Choe
