Knowledge of the seas - Expo Lisbon 1998
The pavilion is shaped like a megalithic cross (according to the architect) and is located on the main avenue of the exhibition. Only the vertical volume of the building is fixed to the ground, while the other volumes (front and back) are raised. The front of the building opens directly onto an inner courtyard, where visitors enter the building. They are immediately led to the first floor by a ramp that runs around the courtyard.
The architect wanted to create a journey and each room a new discovery for the visitor of this pavilion, so all the rooms are a succession of spaces that are all different in terms of size, location and lighting.
This pavilion, as its name indicates, is dedicated to knowledge of the sea. It allows you to learn about, discover and know how the resources of the oceans have been used throughout the ages.
The interior of the building is made up of winding rooms and corridors referring to the ocean floor, but the most grandiose of the rooms is the room that occupies the central volume, which is located under the central part of the building and is also higher. This room, illuminated by natural light coming through the transparent ceiling, exhibits a huge wooden structure of a ship, such as those on Portuguese ships of the 15th and 16th centuries.
The exhibition in this pavilion is divided into four sections:
"'Wake' in the oceans, where the themes of navigation are addressed.
"Research" for all geographical research, underwater exploration and analysis of physical phenomena.
"Diving" presents the history of diving.
"Ocean resources" are presented in this section, from aquaculture to communications.