MAAT

MAAT looks like a stingray made of ceramic tiles that decided to beach itself on the banks of the Tagus. Opened in 2016, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology was designed by London-based architect Amanda Levete, and its undulating, gleaming white form is the most dramatically contemporary building in a city that mostly looks like it stopped building things in the 19th century. The roof is walkable — a gentle slope that rises from the riverside promenade to a crest offering panoramic views of the river and the bridge, which is exactly the kind of architectural trick that Instagram was invented for.

The building's skin is made of 15,000 three-dimensional ceramic tiles, a deliberate nod to Portugal's azulejo tradition translated into 21st-century form. Each tile is slightly angled to catch the light differently throughout the day, creating a surface that shimmers and shifts like water. The museum is part of the EDP Foundation campus, which also includes the beautifully converted Tejo Power Station next door — a massive brick industrial building from 1908 that now hosts large-scale art installations in its former turbine halls. Walking between the two buildings feels like crossing a century in fifty steps.

Inside MAAT, the exhibitions rotate frequently and tend toward the experimental — expect video art, interactive installations, and shows that blur the line between art, science, and technology. The building's interior is as fluid as its exterior, with curved galleries that flow into each other without conventional walls or rooms. The permanent collection is thin, but the temporary shows are often excellent and occasionally bewildering, which is probably the correct ratio for a contemporary art museum. The riverside terrace café is a lovely spot for coffee, and admission to the roof is free, which means you can experience the best part of the building — its relationship with the river and the sky — without paying a euro.