Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia

About the museum

MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology opened in October 2016, as part of the cultural patronage policy of the Fundação EDP, as an international institution dedicated to critical discourse and creative practice. It is located on the riverside front of Belém and comprises two buildings linked by a garden along the Tagus: MAAT Central and MAAT Gallery.

MAAT Central is the former Central Tejo, a thermal power station built between the 1910s and 1940s, which supplied electricity to the whole Lisbon region. It operated without interruption from 1909 to 1954 and remained in limited operation until the 1970s. Classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1986, it opened to the public in 1990 as the Museu da Eletricidade and reopened in 2006 after restoration. Here visitors can see the permanent exhibition A Fábrica da Eletricidade (The Electricity Factory) and discover the Energy Heritage Collection of the Fundação EDP, with about 3,500 pieces.

MAAT Gallery was designed by the studio of the British architect Amanda Levete (AL_A) and has 3,000 square metres of interior space, including the Oval Gallery, and a roof accessible to the public with a view over the river. The MAAT Garden, by Vladimir Djurovic, has about 225 metres of riverside frontage and hosts large-scale sculptures. The museum also presents the Fundação EDP Art Collection, with more than 2,000 works by over 300 contemporary Portuguese artists.

Highlights

• MAAT Central, the former Central Tejo, with the permanent exhibition A Fábrica da Eletricidade
• MAAT Gallery, designed by Amanda Levete, with a roof open to the public over the Tagus
• Fundação EDP Art Collection, with more than 2,000 works
• Energy Heritage Collection, with about 3,500 pieces
• MAAT Garden, with outdoor sculptures and free access
• Café and restaurant at MAAT Gallery

Permanent exhibition

• A Fábrica da Eletricidade – Permanent exhibition in MAAT Central, the former Central Tejo, devoted to the energy heritage of the thermal power station and the Energy Heritage Collection of the Fundação EDP.

Founded

2016

Operated by

Fundação EDP

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of each month, from 10:00 to 13:00, exclusively for residents of Portugal.

Price of €12 for residents of Portugal. Free admission for MAAT Friends, Grupo EDP employees, members of APOM, ICOM and AICA, and journalists. Discounts cannot be combined and require proof. The garden is freely accessible. Events, workshops and tours have their own prices.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

Two wheelchairs available at the ticket offices. The museum's main route is adapted for visitors with reduced mobility, with lifts and access ramps to the upper floors, and so is the outdoor route. There are QR codes with videos in Portuguese Sign Language, tours with audio description and tactile tours.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

The museum offers guided tours and workshops for little ones, and has baby-changing facilities. Children must always be accompanied by adults.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Avenida Brasília, on the riverside front of Belém. A pedestrian bridge over the railway line connects the roof of MAAT Gallery to the city.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Lockers

MAAT Café & Kitchen in the MAAT Gallery building and MAAT Shop with Portuguese design products. Lockers, cash machine (Multibanco) and baby-changing facilities available to visitors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum has a corporate events service.

Plan your visit