The History of World Expositions

The Lisbon World Exposition 1998
The Year of Oceans


Year: 1998
City: Lisbon
Country: Portugal
Duration: 22nd May - 30th September 1998
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Copyright: Luiz Trigueiros und Claudio Sat: Architecture. Lisbon Expo'98. Lissabon, 1998, S.76
Introduction

Expo ’98 commemorated the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India, which made Lisbon one of the world’s greatest seaports. Taking as its motto “The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future” the exhibition was intended as an appeal to the world to protect the sea. While many exhibits treated the subject in a purely light-hearted manner, the accompanying World Maritime Summit also brought scientific evidence to bear on the issue which subsequently led to the creation of a European Maritime Agency. Lisbon used the exhibition as a means of providing crucial impetus for urban development by reclaiming the extensive industrial wasteland along the banks of the Tagus. This is where the exhibition grounds, planned from the outset to be an integral and lasting part of a new city district, were built.


EXPOSEEUM - The Museum of World Exhibitions, Hanover, Expo Plaza 11
Open every Sunday from 11 to 16