On 18 July, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon reopened following a year-and-a-half renovation, coinciding with the Gulbenkian 70th anniversary.
The renovation set out to restore the museum’s original 1960s design and atmosphere, as originally conceived by architects Ruy Jervis d’Athouguia, Alberto Pessoa, and Pedro Cid, in collaboration with museologist Georges-Henri Rivière and architect Franco Albini. Based on archival plans and period photography, original materials—including silk, carpet, wood, bronze, glass, and concrete—were reinstated to recreate the initial aesthetic.
European Galleries, twelfth-seventeenth centuries, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum ©Pedro Pina
The renovation restores the dialogue between the galleries and the gardens, re-establishing access to the interior courtyards. Key updates include a dedicated numismatics room in a former private study and the reintroduction of green carpeting in the European Galleries to visually connect the interior spaces with the exterior garden landscape.
Further details on the restoration process, conservation work, and archival insights can be explored on the Gulbenkian Museum’s behind-the-scenes blog.