José Adrião Arquitetos is pleased to announce that it has been awarded First Place in the Public Competition for the Rehabilitation and Adaptation of the West Tower of Praça do Comércio, in Lisbon, intended for the new wing of the Museum of Lisbon.
The proposal developed for this emblematic building on Lisbon’s waterfront focuses on structural consolidation and heritage preservation, safeguarding its architectural identity and original construction elements. The intervention introduces a new cross-shaped central structure that reinforces the existing layout, reorganizes the interior spaces, and restores the building’s monumentality. Built of timber and metal components, this new core establishes a direct relationship with the construction systems of the Baixa Pombalina, while integrating contemporary solutions for sustainability, accessibility, and programmatic flexibility tailored to host cultural and exhibition uses.
The competition jury – composed of Architect Vasco Nuno Rodrigues Santos, Historian Joana Sousa Monteiro, Architect Ana Silva Dias, Architect João Pedro Falcão de Campos, and Architect Paulo Duarte – highlighted in its evaluation the ‘clear solution’, the ‘respect for the building’s original design’, and how ‘the new configuration allows for a clear, continuous, and articulated visual relationship with the urban public space, promoting a harmonious relationship with the river’.