Lisbon - A Modern City

Just over a decade ago one of Europe’s most ambitious regeneration projects transformed Lisbon’s derelict docklands into a stunning, contemporary, architectural landscape.  Ten years on, it’s stylish residential and business premises continue to be sought after, whilst attractions created for Expo 98 draw up to 18 million visitors each year.

Renamed the Parque das Nacoes, it was conceived as a permanent attraction so that every building was pre-sold for use after Expo 98 ended.  The Portuguese learned from the mistakes made by the Spanish following Expo 92 in Seville.  After the event in Seville the site was semi abandoned, whereas in Lisbon – within 4 months, following some minor alterations – the new ‘parque’ was re-opened to the public.

The magnificent Vasco da Gama bridge, at 17kms the longest in Europe, was purpose built to serve the complex.  It is complemented by metro, train and bus services terminating at Oriente, a station with cathedral like elegance that is regarded as a modern architectural masterpiece.

For those visiting Lisbon, the most striking landmark is Lisbon’s tallest construction.  The tower stands 145 metres high and, like the bridge, is named after Portugal’s most famous explorer.  Vasco da Gama left Lisbon on a voyage of discovery to India exactly 500 years before Expo 98 opened and his name flaunts the country’s maritime triumphs.

The tower’s three lifts take passengers to the summit where a restaurant and viewing terrace, designed to resemble the crow’s nest of a ship, reiterate the nautical theme.  Nearby a cable car travels the length of the park following the riverside gardens, planted with oriental and tropical vegetation collected from Portugal’s ex-colonies.
From the cabins the views are spectacular of the Tejo estuary and marina.  Across the ‘parque’ there are international restaurants, a modernist shopping mall constructed from slithers of steel and sheets of glass and an interactive science museum.

Containing themed exhibitions, the science museum’s main attraction is the Exploratorium, it’s 300 hand-on exhibits offer visitors the opportunity to explore nature through simulations and experimentation – a concept first advocated by American physicist, Frank Oppenheimer.  Children’s knowledge is widened as they investigate their strength by trying to launch a hydrogen rocket and construct a house of foam bricks and panels using pulleys and wheelbarrows.

Another Pavilion houses Portugal’s largest bowling alley, alongside the Camoes Theatre.  Imaginative fountains and a water maze enhance the outdoor areas, whilst a Japanese sculpture of a shimmering compass is a reminder of the exclusive relationship that Portugal had with Japan in the early part of the 16th century.

The parks star attraction is the magnificent Oceanario, which is housed in a revolutionary edifice resembling the bridge of a ship.  Inside one of the world’s largest aquarium holds enough water to fill our Olympic swimming pool.  Almost seven metres deep visitors can walk round it on two levels, almost as if exploring the ocean first hand, which is a hauntingly spectacular experience.

Four additional tanks are separated from the main aquarium by transparent walls and each one contains a distinct habitat – the Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans – with an associated land enclosure.  These areas are temperature controlled making it possible to view seabirds out of the water and sea otters on the surface.

Although the habitats look realistic they have not been plundered from the sea.  Instead, stunning artificial rocks have been created, with tens of thousands of hand moulded crustacean shells clinging to their surface.  Aquarium employees undertake a host of regular maintenance tasks, including diving into the tanks to carry out cleaning procedures, health checks plus hand feeding some of the large creatures.

The great task of turning the Expo 98 site into an on going place of leisure has been very successful.  In a city that is usually admired for it’s history, it is satisfying to note that the 20th Century has made a lasting and important contribution.