Oceanario de Lisboa

Boston-based architects and planners Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. (Peter Chermayeff) invited PROMONTORIO to participate as local architects in the design-and-build consortium for the Lisbon aquarium built for the World Exhibition, held in Lisbon, in 1998.

Set in the former Dock of Olivais, the building evoked the metaphor of an island in the middle of the ocean. The main building has a large central tank surrounded by the secondary tanks each representing one of the oceans and comprising an animal collection with approximately 8,000 specimens and 250 different species. This main building, in turn, is connected to inland by a skywalk that leads to the support building. The latter contains the ticketing services, shop, restaurant and cafeteria, temporary exhibition and administration.

Since its opening, Oceanario de Lisboa as remained unchallenged the most visited building in the Portuguese capital. Years later, in 2003, the office of Chaermayeff, Sollogub & Poole invited PROMONTORIO for a joint venture to design an expansion to this ensemble, increasing not only the live exhibits programme, but also a much needed auditorium.