Sun entrance - Expo Lisbon 1998
Visitors arriving at Oriente station pass through the Sun Gate. This gate marks the axis of symmetry that begins at the Oriente station and ends in the river between the Pavilion of Portugal and the Pavilion of Utopia and is characterised by a long, narrow ornamental pool.
The two enormous porticoes, composed of a series of arched arches supported by sloping pillars, and a large horizontal beam constitutes "a reference to the structure of a ship under construction".
According to the architects, "passing under the hull frame, the visitor arrives at the interior door area: a large and festive "space", remarkably designed as a poetic sea background with uniform colours and diffuse lighting; the huge ship, on the other hand, establishes its rhythm through a series of lighting pillars, punctuated by concentrated beams. The line of turnstiles at the entrance divides the functional space into two zones: the compression zone on the side facing the land, the decompression/expansion zone facing the sea.
The Central Boulevard is reached by means of a double system of ramps and steps, and the visitor can enjoy a panoramic view of the Exhibition from the platform of the outdoor terrace, in the shadow of the ship's frame.