Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Capital of cool

After decades on the periphery of Europe’s art and design scene, Lisbon is edging its way towards centre stage thanks to some daring and innovative developments. Matthew Hancock finds the city’s design hot spots

Lisbon is a wonderfully traditional city, with one foot planted firmly in the early 20th century. But without losing this enduring quaintness, it’s also gaining a taste for the cutting edge in art and design, resulting in a charming mixture of old and new. “Fish” is a word you hear a lot around Lisbon these days, but it has nothing to do with dried cod or sardines. Spelt ‘fixe’, it’s colloquial for ‘cool’, and it’s on the lips of many a Lisbon local.

In the heart of the city’s historic centre, a new museum dedicated to fashion and design is gradually expanding to fill several storeys of a former bank. This is MUDE (pictured, 24 Rua Augusta, , www.mude.pt), which hosts one of the best collections of design classics anywhere in Europe, bequeathed by former stockbroker Francisco Capelo. Wander through this grand space and you’ll find Charles and Ray Eames furniture, chairs by Frank Gehry and a 1959 Vespa, interspersed with leather boots from Paco Rabanne, Alexander McQueen’s fabulous fur skirts, classic coats by Pierre Cardin and much more.

The sumptuous MUDE collection moved from the suburb of Belém, but an equally awe-inspiring collection has seamlessly slotted into its former home. The Berardo Collection (Centro Cultural de Belém, Praça do Império, , www.berardocollection.com) is another wealthy benefactor’s hoard, this time of contemporary arts. The constantly changing collection throws up giants of the last century such as Andy Warhol, Chris Ofili, Eric Fischl, Rothko and Bacon – there are so many works that not everything can be shown at once.

Design district

With such a wealth of dazzling art on display in the city, it’s no wonder that locals are inspired to create works of their own. This is particularly evident in the slightly rundown riverside district of Santos. Here, expansive warehouses and loft spaces have been taken over by up-and-coming artists and designers, many of whom showcase their works at a growing number of shops and galleries. A typical example is Galeria Reverso (59/61 Rua da Esperança, ), where leading Portuguese designer Paula Crespo displays her own chunky but stylishly modern jewellery.

Billed as the ‘District of Design’, Santos now also boasts a film school (ETIC) and a design college (IADE) – and the big names are moving in. Need a designer bin or the latest corkscrew? Head to Paris Sete (14d Largo de Santos, ) or its nearby sister Paris Sete Concept (2a/b Largo Vitorino Damásio, ), which stock the sort of design classics that end up at MUDE: Charles and Ray Eames polypropylene toy elephants, Zaha Hadid’s sensual Moon Sofa and George Nelson’s wacky wall clocks.

What’s more, the designer-conscious shoppers visiting Santos have encouraged a plethora of hip venues to service them. Lisbon’s fashionistas can be seen hanging out in chic restaurants such as Túnel de Santos (1 Largo de Santos, ), with a brick vaulted ceiling; Ja à Mesa (3c Largo Vitorino Damásio, ), with lunchtime specials by Michelin-starred chef José Avillez; or Estado Liquido (4a Largo de Santos, ), a sushi restaurant and ultra-cool bar.

According to João Peres Alves, president of the Santos Design District project, “For a designer, being in Santos is a must,” and a good day to visit is the open day held on the last Saturday of the month. Called Saturday is Design Day, the area hosts an organic farmer’s market, various events in the shops and workshops, and live music concerts. In December, there’ll be a special open day featuring a Portuguese Design Contest, and there are more events in the pipeline. “We are planning a new event next April/May,” says Peres Alves, “a special month dedicated to design, with exhibitions, Portuguese design presentations, workshops, conferences and street animation.”

Fun factory

Another designer hot spot lies a little west up the river, where, under the hum of the giant Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge, a rambling former industrial estate has been appropriated by a collective of workshops and studios. Known as LX Factory (103 Rua Rodrigues Faria, , www.lxfactory.com), it consists of boutiques, cafés and designer outlets in factories and warehouses that the owners have deliberately left as unaltered as possible. Hence Ler Devagar (), a bookshop-cum-bar and exhibition space in a former printing press, where the books are piled high on industrial shelving, surrounded by lumps of old machinery. Each year, LX Factory lays on special open days with an eclectic programme of workshops, DJ sets, film screenings, fashion shows and performances of live music – the next one is scheduled for October.

And it’s not just the bright young things that are making waves in these parts.

Out in Cascais, lapped by the Atlantic just outside the city, the extraordinary Casa das Histórias (300 Avenida da República, Cascais, ) is a sleek, modernist museum, the latest building project from venerable Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Unusually, it’s dedicated to a living artist, Paula Rego: a local girl who now lives in London. Rego’s acclaimed art was recently acknowledged in the Queen’s list, and she’s now a dame. The museum exterior resembles two truncated, reddish pyramids that are as eye-catching as Rego’s vivid and faintly disturbing portraits held within.

Stay in style

Back in Lisbon, visiting designers make a bee-line for the Fontana Park (2 Rua Eng. Vieira da Silva, , www.fontanapark-hotel.com, doubles from €90). Billing itself as ‘Lisbon’s First Designer Hotel’, its minimalist modern interior lies behind the façade of an old steelworks. Rooms boast Philippe Starck chromatic tubs that bathe their users in ever-changing coloured lights, while downstairs there’s a neat courtyard garden with a black slate wall of running water. Non-residents can visit the sushi bar and restaurant, or enjoy themed evenings, which include cocktail nights with guest DJs.

In fact, the Fontana Park would make an ideal base for attending two upcoming events this autumn where creative talent will be on show. Doclisboa (14-24 October, www.doclisboa.org) is a festival for national and international documentary makers, while Arte Lisboa (24-28 November, www.artelisboa.fil.pt) promotes contemporary art from some of Europe’s top galleries at the Lisbon Congress Centre. These events provide the perfect excuse to explore this new capital of cool.

FR Capitale très tendance

Après être restée longtemps en marge de la scène européenne des arts et du design, Lisbonne est aujourd’hui très en vue grâce à de nouveaux projets audacieux et innovants. Matthew Hancock nous montre les incontournables

Tout en étant une ville très traditionnelle, Lisbonne témoigne d’un goût certain pour l’innovation. Dans le centre historique, MUDE (24 Rua Augusta) offre l’une des plus belles collections européennes de classiques du design, tandis que la Collection Berardo (Praça do Império) présente des pièces d’art contemporain signées Warhol et Rothko.

En bordure de fleuve, à Santos – le « quartier du design » – les entrepôts ont été investis par les étoiles montantes des arts et du design. Paris Sete (14d Largo de Santos) propose le genre de classiques que l’on retrouve chez MUDE et des portes ouvertes ont lieu chaque dernier samedi du mois dans le quartier. Plus en amont, LX Factory (103 Rua Rodrigues Faria) rassemble des boutiques, cafés et points de vente hébergés dans d’anciennes usines sobrement réaménagées.

À Cascais, à l’extérieur de la ville, la Casa das Histórias (300 Avenida da República, Cascais) est le tout dernier projet de l’architecte portugais Eduardo Souto de Moura. Dédiées à l’artiste Paula Rego, ces deux pyramides rouges tronquées interpellent autant que les portraits de Rego.

À Lisbonne, tous les designers de passage séjournent au Fontana Park (2 Rua Eng. Vieira da Silva, fontanapark-hotel.com, chambres doubles à partir de 90 €). C’est une base idéale pour assister au festival du documentaire Doclisboa (14-24 octobre, doclisboa.org) ou encore à Arte Lisboa (24-28 novembre, artelisboa.fil.pt), qui promeut l’art contemporain : un excellent prétexte à l’exploration de cette capitale très tendance.

NL Hippe stad

Na decennia lang in de periferie van Europa’s kunst- en ontwerpscène te hebben vertoefd, maakt Lissabon stilaan de weg vrij voor een leidinggevend plekje met een aantal gewaagde en innoverende ontwikkelingen. Matthew Hancock ontdekt alle hot spots

Lissabon is een wonderbaarlijk traditionele stad, maar heeft steeds meer de hightech smaak te pakken. In het historische centrum vindt u bij MUDE (24 Rua Augusta) een van Europa’s beste collecties designklassiekers en bij Berardo Collection (Praça do Império) kunt u terecht voor hedendaagse kunst van grote namen zoals Warhol en Rothko.

In de buurt nabij de rivier – ook wel het ‘Designdistrict’ genoemd – werden tal van opslagplaatsen ingepalmd door veelbelovende artiesten en ontwerpers. Bij Paris Sete (14d Largo de Santos) worden de designklassiekers bewaard die ooit bij MUDE terechtkomen. Rivier opwaarts vindt u LX Factory (103 Rua Rodrigues Faria) gevestigd in oude fabrieken.

In Cascais, ontdekt u Casa das Histórias (300 Avenida da República, Cascais), het recentste bouwproject van de Portugese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. Het project doet denken aan afgeknotte, roodachtige piramiden.

Terug in Lissabon zetten bezoekende designers rechtstreeks koers naar Fontana Park (2 Rua Eng. Vieira da Silva, fontanapark-hotel.com, dubbele kamers vanaf €90), ‘Lissabon’s eerste Designer Hotel’. Dit hotel zou als ideale uitvalsbasis kunnen dienen voor twee aankomende evenementen, het documentairefestival Doclisboa (14-24 oktober, doclisboa.org) en Arte Lisboa (24-28 november, artelisboa.fil.pt) die beide hedendaagse kunst promoten.

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