Built over the river Tagus landfill, along an urban fabric strongly characterized by the structural and architectural elements of the “Pombalino” style, the station was nevertheless designed as an isolated building, without any physical connection to its surroundings. The historical importance of the site reinforced the significance of its function—a gateway between the city and the river, a departure point for navigation, both along the Tagus and beyond.

As once described, “special attention was given to solving the relatively delicate problem of the appearance of the building façades, due to its particular situation and its proximity to the monumental square of ‘Terreiro do Paço.’”

For Cottinelli Telmo, “the building must have that modern character in which, once all sentimental and useless decoration is banished, only the play of volumes and smooth surfaces remain, where the logic and proportion of the construction speak above all.” The new station should highlight the nature of its construction, expressing both its function and its time. Cottinelli considered that “the best way to enhance the beauty of ‘Terreiro do Paço’ [would be] through contrast and not through competition.”

The elementary volume defined a vast space, allowing passage between the pier and the city while providing access to the different functions it was intended to accommodate—waiting rooms, ticket purchase areas, and baggage dispatch—all housed in isolated cabins within the interior or in the attached volumes on either side. The precise modulation of the concrete structure, the thick pillars and corresponding pilasters, and the beams supporting the overlapping grid-like roof determined the rhythms and fundamental characteristics that animated the space.

Employing a formal resource typical of Art Deco, the surfaces were rhythmically animated in an abstract way, with staggered planes that emphasized the primary directions—horizontal and vertical—as well as the curves of the large spans. The geometric lanterns, placed atop the pyramidal crowns of the main body, asserted an urban presence. In contrast, the interior was finished with noble materials. Large marble slabs in contrasting colors and textures, along with metallic grids featuring ornamental geometric designs, ensured a decorative effect of modern and understated luxury.

— Martins, João Paulo - Cottinelli Telmo, The Architect's Work (1897-1948)

The Lisbon Tourism Association’s main programmatic objective was to restore the original function of a river station.

The intervention was guided by principles of conservation, restoration, and reinterpretation of the defining elements of the original 1928-32 project.

Among the emblematic spaces and elements that have been preserved and restored, we highlight: the natural stone coverings on the floors and walls of the main atrium; the modern composition of the plaster façade elements with their sharp edges; the north and south cantilevered canopies in concrete, iron, and glass; the external openings in painted iron and glass; and the ceramic tile panels of the main hall and former departure lounge.

With the A2P engineering team, a structural reinforcement solution was developed to improve the building’s seismic performance while preserving its heritage characteristics.