Liquid Lisbon - Markets and Waterfront Transformations

How can transforming urban waterfronts generate inclusive public spaces?
How can public markets empower local communities and promote circularity?

Portugal, strategically located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and western end of Mediterranean, was a 15th-century epicenter of maritime activity, trade, and culinary exchange. In the last decades, the city’s riverfront has evolved from industrial, inaccessible zones into an open, ‘liquid’ city with new public, cultural, and economic centralities. Recently, inner-city market halls have been transformed into hybrid spaces that reflect contemporary local and global trends. This transformation has paralleled rapid tourism growth and Lisbon’s rise as a hub for digital nomads and innovation. While this has boosted the economy, it has also brought challenges like gentrification and a lack of affordable housing, creating new opportunities to reassess the city’s future growth.

During this Seminar Week, students will explore the major transforming riverfront areas and key market halls, starting in the historic center where tradition and culture meet the river. The tour will include the eastern/oriental part of the city, visiting the World Expo ‘98 site, featuring Siza Vieira’s Pavilhão de Portugal and Santiago Calatrava’s train station. In the western/occidental part, we will visit Belém, including the CCB Cultural Center and the MAAT Museum by the river. The journey will also take us to the southern margin of the Tagus River, exploring the Setúbal Fish Market, Cabo Espichel, and Siza’s Escola Superior de Educação.

Throughout the week, students will engage with local partners, prominent architects, policymakers, and key stakeholders. Discussions, guided by the University Institute of Lisbon ISCTE, will address the city’s case studies, providing a comprehensive understanding of Lisbon’s urban transformations.

Images

1. Liquid Lisbon Seminar Week Poster
2. Seminar Week Program
3. Riverfront walk with Mariana Santana
4. Pavilhão de Portugal with António Choupina
5. Baixa-Chiado Metro Station António Choupina
6. Atelier Aires Mateus with Manuel Aires Mateus
7. Torre FPM 41 with Patrícia Barbas
8. Lisbon City Hall with Paulo Pardelha, Paula Rebelo e Ana Marçal
9. Gulbenkian Gardens
10. Foodscapes with Mariana Sanchez Salvador
11. Mercado Benfica with Nuno Rodrigues
12. Mercado Carnide with Diogo Figueiredo and Fábio Sousa
13. Open Lecture with Hubert Klumpner, Diogo Figueiredo and Deniz Knobel
14. Museu dos Coches with Ricardo Bak Gordon
15. Homo Urbanus with Mariana Pestana
16. Atelier Ai Weiwei with Rute Ventura
17. Ai Weiwei phonecall
18. Mercado do Livramento
19. Cabo Espichel with João Belo Rodeia
20. View over the Atlantic