MAAT

Waves on the Tagus

MAAT (Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia) is Lisbon's most eye-catching piece of modern museum architecture. Right on the bank of the Tagus in the Belém district, the low, white-tiled curving new building by architect Amanda Levete (studio AL_A) sits on the water like a wave. Its walkable roof rises gently out of the ground and has become a popular viewpoint and meeting spot, with views across the river to the 25 de Abril Bridge.

The building opened in October 2016, and in 2026 it marks its tenth anniversary. That makes it a comparatively young addition to the Belém skyline, offering a modern counterpoint to the classic monuments around the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower.

Two buildings, one museum

MAAT is made up of two parts, covered by a single ticket:

• MAAT Gallery is the curving new building on the water. It hosts the changing exhibitions of contemporary art, architecture and technology, and it's also home to the free rooftop walkway.
• MAAT Central is the neighbouring Central Tejo, a former power station dating from 1908. Its imposing machine halls, with their historic boilers and turbines, are a striking exhibit on industrial history in their own right and also host further shows.

Both buildings share the same opening hours and are covered by the same ticket, so you can easily combine them in a single visit.

What's on in 2026

The exhibition programme changes regularly, so it's worth checking what's currently on before you go. In the anniversary year 2026, highlights include:

• EDP Foundation Art Collection at MAAT Central (from 11 February 2026, shown in two parts through January 2027): around 90 works by 58 Portuguese artists.
• Anna Maria Maiolino - Terra Poética at MAAT Gallery (25 March to 24 August 2026): drawings, photographs and clay sculptures modelled on site.
• A solo show by Christian Marclay, plus an exhibition on artificial intelligence in art and society opening in October.

Tickets & prices

The standard ticket costs €16 for visitors who live outside Portugal and €12 for Portugal residents; both cover MAAT Central and MAAT Gallery. Students under 30 get a 25% discount, seniors 65 and over get 15%, and children under 12 go free. The Lisboa Card gives a 15% discount. Portugal residents can visit free on the first Sunday of the month between 10:00 and 13:00. Worth knowing if you're watching your budget: the curving rooftop is free to access at any time, you only pay for the exhibitions inside.

Tickets are available online via the official website or on site at the ticket desk. Booking online is recommended to avoid queueing; there's no dedicated fast-track option.

Visiting & practicalities

MAAT is open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00-19:00, and closed on Tuesdays, these hours apply year-round with no seasonal variation. It's also closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, and closes early at 15:00 on 24 and 31 December. Allow 1 to 2 hours for your visit. The best time to come is late afternoon, so you can catch the sunset from the rooftop over the river afterwards.

The museum has lockers, a museum shop (same opening hours as the museum), and a café and restaurant, MAAT Kitchen, in the Gallery building. It's wheelchair accessible via lift and ramps to the upper floors; two wheelchairs are available on request at the ticket desk, and there are accessible restrooms.

The address is Av. Brasília, Belém, 1300-598 Lisboa, right on the Tagus riverfront. The official website doesn't list specific metro, tram or bus lines, but MAAT is within walking distance of the other Belém sights and makes a good way to round off a day in Belém, for example after the Jerónimos Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries and Belém Tower. For getting around by tram and bus, see our overview of public transport in Lisbon.