EXPO2000 ::The Lisbon World Exposition 1998::

In 1993, the work of planning the exhibition grounds was entrusted to Portuguese national Manual Salgado as the winner of an international design competition. The project was closely related to an urban development plan for the whole of Lisbon. In addition to the Portuguese pavilion, Salgado’s plan was to construct four theme pavilions which would be of key importance after the exhibition for the infrastructure of the new Olivais city district. An aquarium for the city of Lisbon was to be built in the Oceans Pavilion, the Utopia Pavilion was to be used as a multi-purpose hall, the Future Pavilion as a museum, and the Oceanography pavilion was to be converted into a scientific research institute.

Situated between the foreign exhibitors' exhibition areas to the north and south was the Doca dos Olivais basin, where the oceanarium was constructed. Opposite the entrance hall to this aquarium, the Jules Verne Theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000 was built. The exhibition grounds were bounded on their western side by the new eastern railway station, where all the suburban railway lines converged: taxi ranks and large car parks were also provided here. Two main avenues gave access to the grounds themselves. The riverside promenade on the Tagus was lined with restaurants and snack bars, and offered a view of the Vasco da Gama Bridge. Parallel to this and 300 metres further west was the “Water Way”, which led past the principal exhibition buildings, and featured a canal and fountains for a refreshing effect. Two panoramic towers dominated the site. While a former refinery stack at the south gate recalled the area’s industrial past, at the northern end of the riverside promenade along the Tagus the 140-metre high Vasco da Gama tower, by Leonor Janeiro (Profabril) and Nick Jacobs (Skidmore, Owings and Merril), called to mind a ship’s mast.

Year: 1998	City: Lisbon	Country: Portugal
Duration: 22nd May - 30th September 1998