Museu do Oriente

Throughout most of its already long existence, the structure was used for the storage of dried cod whose persistent odour did become a cause for some concern in the project's early phases. The challenge was to rethink the project so as to best incorporate the already irreversible work and demolition carried out, while also creating space for designing the museum. Located next to Lisbon's docks, the Museu do Oriente promotes the Portuguese presence in Asia or the respective and distinct Asian cultures. With the objective of conciliating the architectonic identity of the building with its new museological purpose, efforts were undertaken to re-clarify its organisational structure. To this end, particular importance was attributed to redefining vertical access ways, areas open to the public and the functional distribution of each floor. Mirrored roofs and black walls are used to visually enlarge the space.