Museum of Paula Rego in Cascais by Eduardo Souto de Moura

In mid-September, the museum 'Casa das Histórias Paula Rego' designed by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura was opened in the city of Cascais, located 25 kilometers west of Lisbon. The new museum was created to house the lifelong work of Portuguese artist Paula Rego. The artist chose the museum's architect herself. Inside, visitors will see her graphic works as well as those of her husband, Victor Willing, who was an art critic and passed away in 1988. 'The House of Stories and Drawings of Paula Rego' is meant to be a place “of fun, unpretentious, vibrant, full of joy and plenty of sin.” Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a pair of adjacent red exposed concrete pyramidal towers. The entire complex consists of four wings that vary in height and mass size. In the center of the layout, there is a covered internal atrium where temporary exhibitions will take place. In addition to 750 m² of exhibition space, the museum also has a lecture hall for 200 spectators, a café, and a souvenir shop. The floors are laid with blue-gray marble from a nearby quarry.
'Casa das Histórias Paula Rego' is the first building by Moura that engages with typical templates of regional historical architecture. According to Souto de Moura, he was inspired by the houses in Cascais from architect Raul Lino as well as the famous Palácio Nacional de Sintra and the Cistercian monastery in Alcobaça. Info>