Lisbon Cruise Terminal

On a site at the bottom of the Alfama hill next to the Tagus, framed by the old dock walls that have been retained, stands the new Lisbon Cruise Terminal. Immediately recognisable is the building’s nautical scale, something Lisbon has been accustomed to for centuries. Some 75 years after the opening of the Alcântara Cruise Dock, this new terminal constitutes an upgrade for the support services provided to large cruise ships, bringing the passengers into the touristic centre of the city. This was indeed the reason for the reorganisation of the whole riverfront area of the city between Praça do Comércio and Santa Apolónia – the idea of re-designing the entrance to Lisbon from the sea. The design features a building conceived as a simple volume that is raised off the ground, in response to the desire to free up the surrounding area for the general public and to elevate the new public space, which is transformed into a terrace/viewing point, like a boarding/unboarding raft between the water and the land. This new urban stage or public space knows exactly what its greatest potential is – the expansive views of the Tagus to the horizon.