Lisbon's MACAM Opens as Europe's First Five-Star Hotel-Museum

The Museu de Arte Contemporanea Armando Martins (MACAM) is set to launch in Lisbon on March 22, 2025, merging a contemporary art museum with a luxury hotel. This initiative stems from collector Armando Martins, who started his collection in 1974 and now possesses over 600 pieces from the late 19th century to the present. Located in the historic Palacio Condes da Ribeira Grande, which dates back to 1701 and functioned as a school until 2022, the renovation by MetroUrbe maintains the building's 18th-century essence while introducing a new wing featuring 3D tile facades by Maria Ana Vasco Costa. The expansive 13,000-square-meter site includes 2,000 square meters dedicated to exhibitions, dining options, an auditorium, a shop, and an art bar in a repurposed chapel. The collection showcases Portuguese art up to the 1980s, highlighting figures like José Malhoa and Almada Negreiros, alongside international works from 1980 onward by artists such as Marina Abramović and Olafur Eliasson. Director Adelaide Ginga emphasizes that art will be integrated throughout the hotel, with live performances scheduled. This opening coincides with the 51st anniversary of Martins’ first art purchase on March 22, 1974.