Lisboa, Lisboa (FUA), Portugal
City population: 2679729
Duration: 2016 – 2017
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: 3100 m2
Type of area: Building
Last updated: September 2024

The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) features a 2,920-square-meter green roof (Ref 8). Located on the riverfront of the historic Belém area in Lisbon, MAAT, inaugurated in 2017, comprises the repurposing of a thermoelectric power station built in 1908 (MAAT Central), a contemporary museum building (MAAT Gallery), connected by a garden that stretches along the Tagus River (MAAT Garden) (Ref. 3). Blending structure into landscape, MAAT was designed to allow visitors to walk over and under its building, in which "the roof becomes an outdoor room, a physical and conceptual reconnection of the river to the city’s heart – where visitors can turn away from the river and enjoy the vista of the cityscape, and at night, watch a film with Lisbon as a backdrop sitting on the bank of steps" (Ref. 1). This roof, part of AL_A’s (design company) architectural vision, offers panoramic views of Lisbon and the Tagus River (Ref 1), and complementing the green roof is a 225-meter-long garden designed by Vladimir Djurovic, which connects MAAT to the Central Tejo power station. This garden features diverse vegetation (Ref 2, Ref 3, Ref 4).

MAAT Green Roof
MAAT Green Roof
Photograph by Iwan Baan. 2020

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Nature on buildings (external)
  • Green roofs
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Rapid urbanization

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of green roofs and walls, Creation of any other green urban spaces

Project objectives

1. Blending Structure into Landscape: The project aimed to blend the building into the landscape, allowing visitors to walk over, under, and through the building (Ref 8). 2. Creating Public Spaces: The intervention aimed to create significant public spaces that are free and open to all audiences and all ages (Ref 8). 3. Connecting the City and Waterfront: A goal was to create physical and conceptual connections to the waterfront and back to the city (Ref 8). 4. Designing a Green Roof: The green roof was designed to create a thermal mass that contributes to the building's energy efficiency (Ref 8). 5. Developing a Garden: The garden aimed to connect MAAT with the Central Tejo power station and create a leisure space along the historic Lisbon riverfront (Ref 2).

Implementation activities

1. Construction of a Green Roof: Covers 2,920 square meters, creating an efficient thermal mass to prevent overheating (Ref 8). 2. Design and Development of the MAAT Garden: A 225-meter-long garden with dense vegetation and mixed meadows connecting MAAT to the Central Tejo power station (Ref 2, Ref 3). 3. Creation of Public Spaces: The roof serves as an accessible public space with panoramic views, functioning as an outdoor room (Ref 8). 4. Integration of a Pedestrian Bridge: Connects the museum to Belém, enhancing access and physical connectivity between the city and riverfront (Ref 8). The MAAT project's NBS interventions address urban overheating through a green roof that enhances thermal efficiency and mitigates noise pollution while increasing biodiversity with a carefully designed garden. Additionally, these interventions create public recreational spaces and strengthen the connectivity between the city, museum, and riverfront.

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Non-government organisation/civil society

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • The project didn't involve any form of stakeholder participatory activities

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The MAAT is directed by the EDP Foundation, a non-profit organization established by EDP, the leading energy company in Portugal. (Ref 8).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? No
... a national policy or strategy? No
... a local policy or strategy? No

Type of enablers

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Corporate investment

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

No

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Energy efficiency improvements
  • Expected energy efficiency improvements
  • Environmental quality
  • Reduced noise exposure
  • Expected reduced noise exposure
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Achieved increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Achieved increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Promotion of cultural diversity
  • Expected promotion of cultural diversity

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
EUmies Award (n.d.). Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
2.
MAAT (n.d.). OPEN GARDENS Guided tour to the Gardens of EDP Foundation Campus (maat and Power Station). Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
3.
MAAT (n.d.). About MAAT. Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Valter, L. (2022). MAAT, the most modern museum in Lisbon. Lisboa Secreta, Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Horta, B. (2016). MAAT. What we already know about Lisbon's new museum. Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Rodrigues dos Santos, S. (2017). Works transform MAAT into a shipyard. CM, Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Ala (n.d.). New image of MAAT’s green roof. Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Facey, C.; Rembeck, B. (n.d.). MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology - Lisbon . ING Media , Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
Maat Garden
Maat Garden
FG + SG - Architectural Photography
Site Plan
Site PLan
https://miesarch.com/work/3590
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.