Gulbenkian Museum restoration restores original modernist vision

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon has undergone a restoration led by architect Teresa Nunes da Ponte and conservation architect Frédéric Ladonne, returning the 1969 building to its original modernist principles. Rather than expanding, the project focused on restoring lost details and enhancing the museum's relationship with its 18-acre wooded grounds. Director Xavier Francesco Solomon notes the museum was purpose-built for its collection, spanning ancient Egypt to Impressionist art. Key interventions include replacing ad-hoc curtains with UV-filtering film and micro-perforated screens, upgrading lighting by French agency ACL to recreate a warm golden glow, and removing partition walls to restore transparency. The original slatted wooden screen between Asian and European galleries was reinstated, and fitted carpeting was returned to European galleries, replacing hardwood flooring. Materials like timber, concrete, bronze, stone, leather, and silk are used without painted walls. The restoration also involved planting trees for future shade, improving the connection with nature that Solomon calls unique among modernist museums.