Lisbon Story

Industrial Route

In the 15th century, with the Portuguese voyages of discovery, the port of Lisbon set the tone for a city whose fortunes began to skyrocket, transforming itself into a sea port, an economic hub and a city of imperial importance.

About this route

Framework

Lisbon and the River Tagus have been in a loving embrace ever since the city was founded.

It was the city’s privileged location as a “garden at the sea’s edge” that created Portugal’s first links to the outside world.

In the 15th century, with the Portuguese voyages of discovery, the port of Lisbon set the tone for a city whose fortunes began to skyrocket, transforming itself into a sea port, an economic hub and a city of imperial importance.

The process of industrialisation, in its turn, would only truly begin in the second half of the 19th century with the construction of factories along the side of the river.

The existence of flat land stemming from land reclamation projects, the river links already mentioned and, later, rail links explained the location there of a large number of manufac-turing plants. 

With the industrial development of the 19th century, the entire eastern area (Xabregas, Beato, Marvila…) gained in importance. The Poço do Bispo area became heavily populated with countless teeming workers’ villages to serve the factories that set up there, essentially between Rua do Açúcar and Braço de Prata.

On the other side of the Tagus, other cities began to gain in importance. Just a few minutes from the capital (20 minutes by boat) stands Barreiro, a key interchange in the country’s rail network which would become an important port of entry into Lisbon due to a ferry service. 

Barreiro was one of the biggest industrial centres in Europe in the first half of the 20th century, and its heritage is still very visible to this day. From the Casa Museu Alfredo da Silva (Alfredo da Silva House Museum) to the Museu Industrial da Baía do Tejo (Tagus Bay Industrial Museum), it is possible to discover Barreiro’s entire past, transformed as it was from a small fishing town to a genuine industrial hub. 

From Barreiro to Cacilhas is just a short trip (or 10 minutes by ferry if coming from Lisbon). With its privileged view of the capital, the busy Ginjal path (now redundant) contains re-mains of buildings, mostly factories and commercial premises, which were abandoned many years ago.

In Almada, Lisnave and its giant gantry are part of Lisbon’s visual architecture, just like Mundet in Seixal.

Back in the capital, the tour continues along the side of the river. In a jiffy, you reach Alcântara with its vaunted creative hubs. 

Starting with LX Factory, which opened in 1846 when the Companhia de Fiação e Tecidos Lisbonense, one of the most important factory complexes in Lisbon, was founded there. Today, it describes itself as an “experiences factory where you can intervene, think, pro-duce, present ideas and products in a place that is for everyone and belongs to everyone”. 

And ending with Village Underground, which has shared its “home” with the Museu da Carris (Railway Museum) since 2014, The Village consists of shipping containers and old buses turned into offices and areas dedicated to creativity.

In sum, it shows us the history of industrial architecture, which, it is true, never stays the same and is always changing. The spaces that were once used for industry are still used for industry today, but a new, creative one. 

Common to them all, besides the buildings themselves, is the backdrop of the River Ta-gus. 

 

Route I: From weapons production to art

Nothing stays the same, everything changes. And for the better. As we can see from Marvila to Seixal, and in everything we come across on our meandering course along this route.


It is nothing new to say that, with industrial development in the 19th century, the entire eastern river bank of Lisbon gained in importance. The Poço do Bispo area became one of the most crowded parts of the city with countless teeming workers’ villages. As history moved on, this area lost importance and was left to decay. However, as an area with good sun exposure and an unhindered view, it was bound to undergo a renaissance. And thus what was once a heavy industrial zone, including weapons manufacture, was replaced by art.


New life began to flood into

Xabregas, Beato, Marvila, Braço de Prata and Cabo Ruivo, a change that started organically in Rua do Açúcar (Sugar Street). Named “the sweetest street in Lisbon”, and inherited from a sugar refinery that stood there until 1782, it started to attract young people who opened modern cafés, restaurants, barber shops, craft beer bars, art galleries, etc.


In this traditionally working class neighbourhood, art galleries were the pioneers. Galeria Baginski was among the first to move to the area in 2009. Vhils followed in 2013 and Underdogs’ monthly exhibitions helped to draw people in. Then came Francisco Fino, who opened his contemporary art gallery in 2017, and the artist Tomaz Hipólito, who shared a renovated warehouse with the architect Helena Botelho and created an artist residency project for international artists.


Braço de Prata is also located in the area. This cultural centre, which has been housed in the former Fábrica de Material de Guerra (War Materials Factory) since 2007, swapped weapons for art, filling its rooms with culture. In this half-abandoned building, more than ten multi-purpose rooms are used as concert venues, art galleries, curiosity cabinets, cinemas, visual arts studios, dining rooms, etc.


Continuing on our way, with the Tagus in the background, we reach Terreiro do Paço, but not before coming to the Fábrica de Gás da Matinha (Matinha Gas Plant), a perfect example of industrial architecture. In Terreiro do Paço, it is hard not to notice the ferry crossing to Barreiro, a fishing town turned into an industrial hub. Today, a well-spent day in Barreiro is quite different from what it was in the past. It can and must start with a walk in the Mata Nacional da Machada (Machada National Woods), and it would not be the same if you miss the emblematic waterside windmills spread throughout this municipality rich in traditions and famous for its old quarter. Beach lovers will enjoy visiting an “old riverside bathing spot”, Alburrica. And because art is also present on this southern side of the river, take a walk to see the famous mural by the street artist Vhils.


On the same side of the river is Cacilhas. You can reach this nice little fishing village by boat from Cais do Sodré if coming from Lisbon. One thing is for sure: this is where you will find the most beautiful view of the capital. And if this is one of the high points of Cacilhas, Ginjal, consisting of a diverse set of mostly industrial and commercial buildings abandoned many years ago, is the cherry on the top of this tour. Although most of the businesses which existed there have gone bankrupt, Ginjal has never been abandoned, attracting many people, either to fish, walk or on the way to the many restaurants and eateries.


Returning to the north bank of the river, you can see the massive Lisbon shipyards – known as Lisnave – located in Cacilhas. Despite being closed since the company moved to Setúbal, it is still possible to see the old yard’s gantry crane, the purest example of industrial architecture.


Still looking at the south bank of the river, and right beside Cacilhas, is the old Mundet factory in Seixal. Founded in 1905, it soon became one of the largest cork factories in Portugal. In December 2016, it reopened as a food, culture and leisure venue, paying tribute to the historical past and the memory of the building. What was once one of the largest factories in the country has reinvented itself, respecting the past and creating the future. And there you have it: nothing stays the same, everything changes.


Route II: from heavy industry to the creative industry

What happens when heavy industry ceases to serve the city? It goes creative. Or that, at least, is what happened in Lisbon. It took what no longer served a purpose and discovered new and better ideas. In sum, dead places within the city were brought back to life more alive and creative than ever.


The western riverside area of the capital is the perfect example of this transformation. Old buildings witnessed the flourishing of a new industry, one that was purely creative and based on the DNA of its facilities, turning Lisbon into one of the coolest cities on the globe.


LXFactory, in Alcântara, represents this cluster of creative industries perfectly – a hub of businesses mostly linked to the creative industries located in former factories and today recognised as a “creative island”. Backdrop for a diverse range of events in the areas of fashion, advertising, communication, multimedia, art, architecture and music, among others, the industrial atmosphere at LXF is evident. It is an experiences factory where you can intervene, think, produce, present ideas and products in a place that is for everyone and belongs to everyone.


No less artistic is Village Underground. Located very close to Lx Factory, it is designed for all those seeking an original space to set up a business – however creative. With its old double-decker buses and ship containers, the “village” has shared its “home” with the Museu da Carris (Railway Museum) since 2014. Work, and lots of play, exhibitions, fairs and restaurants – from inside and outside the old buses which once were used for something other than the creative industry.


In the same surroundings, you’ll find Pilar 7, an interactive and immersive experience that provides a unique look at the 25 April Bridge – considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. Via a tour that takes in the exterior spaces of this key column of the bridge and the sensory experience that awaits on the inside, visitors take a journey through the history of its construction ending with a ride by lift up to a panoramic viewing platform that offers an extraordinary view of the city and the River Tagus.


Remaining beside the river, it is impossible not to notice the huge series of orange industrial buildings that rise up between Alcântara and Belém. The Museu da Electricidade (Museum of Electricity) is a superb example of industrial architecture from the beginning of the 20th century which tells the story of this electricity generating plant that operated until 1951 and supplied greater Lisbon with energy. But it is not just dedicated to the past. The museum holds exhibitions which, in one way or another, mostly try to combine art with science. This old museum belonging to Fundação EDP (EDP Foundation), housed in the former Tagus Power Plant, is now part of the recently opened Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT).


For anyone who enjoys a good view, the invitation of a trip to the other side of the river is inevitable. Continuing the tour to Belém, it is possible to cross the river by ferry to Porto Brandão or even Trafaria, where you can admire the buildings mentioned above from an entirely different perspective. The south bank of the Tagus is without a doubt the best place to enjoy a view of Lisbon. You have to see it to believe it.

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