Lisbon, Portugal
2007-2012
Co-author: João Pedro Falcão de Campos
Photos: José Manuel Rodrigues
Headquarters of the Portuguese National Bank
The requalification of the Portuguese National Bank headquarters aims to enhance the political, institutional, representational, and cultural significance of Lisbon’s Baixa Pombalina district. This project seeks to strengthen the area’s heritage, memory, and identity while acting as a catalyst for transformation, creativity, and innovation.
The design draws inspiration from the architectural and urban legacy of the remarkable Pombalina “factory,” a visionary project initiated by the Marquis of Pombal after the 1755 earthquake. This reconstruction became one of the most outstanding examples of the European Enlightenment era. The block-building concept, which integrates the S. Julião Church, is distinguished by its unified presence, meticulous design, and the hierarchical composition of its façades. A longitudinal open patio serves as a vital element, connecting and integrating the entire block seamlessly.
The building’s opening towards the city, while preserving the privacy and security essential to the operation of an institution of this nature, formed the foundation of the design. This approach was coupled with the desire to reveal and make accessible the magnificent spaces of the old church and its connection to the lobby of the block. The proportions and sequential arrangement of open spaces, reminiscent of an urban order, serve as the backbone of the entire building.
The extension of the public space—encompassing Praça do Município and the S. Julião Church, itself a public space functioning as a multipurpose cultural venue for exhibitions, conferences, and other events—brings qualities of light, permeability, and materiality into the interior of the Pombalino block. Through the spatial sequence of the church entrance, narthex, nave, main altar, and the axial connection to the hall, the design structures the progression of spaces while integrating the vertical circulations along this main longitudinal axis.
In a contemporary context that demands a careful and thoughtful approach to the rehabilitation and intervention in heritage buildings, this project seeks to honour the pre-existing structure by fully embracing the lioz stone as a natural material, celebrating its diverse shades and textures while preserving its scars as testaments to the passage of time. Above all, it strives to achieve harmony and a holistic balance by judiciously employing various techniques, including conservation, repair, restoration, reconstruction, and renovation.
To acoustically enhance the spaces of the church and museum, Portuguese artist Fernanda Fragateiro was invited to create a series of curtains crafted from pure silk in gold and silver. These curtains radiate light, warmth, and delicacy, providing a striking contrast to the opacity, weight, and coolness of the stone. Fragateiro hand-painted excerpts from The Book of Disquiet by Bernardo Soares (a heteronym of Fernando Pessoa) onto the fabric, imbuing the space with layers of literary and artistic depth.