Quake Museum – Lisbon Earthquake Centre
Type of Construction
Building
Construction Company
Tecnovia S.A.
Construction Site Location
Belém, Lisbon, Portugal
Construction Duration
Start: May 2020
Completion: April 6, 2022
Opening: April 16, 2022
Project Description
The Quake – Lisbon Earthquake Centre, located in Belém next to the National Coach Museum, was built by Tecnovia S.A.
The building consists of two volumes connected by a central body, forming two courtyards and totaling an area of 1,700 m².
The structure features an irregular floor plan and includes a basement level, a ground floor, and two upper floors.
The construction solution involved a reinforced concrete load-bearing structure with a mixed system of frames and wall systems. The slabs are composed of reinforcement bands and lightweight blocks, with a total volume of 700 m³ of concrete.
Most walls and columns are integrated into the gables and facades. The peripheral columns measure 35×100 cm, while the interior ones are 30×100 cm.
Regarding the slabs, the adopted solution used slabs with lightweight blocks and reinforcement bands in the zones with negative moments, both 36 cm thick. This approach reduced the amount of concrete used while maintaining the necessary stiffness to minimize floor deformation. In areas with larger spans, 50 cm thick lightweight slabs were used. For staircases and other specific areas, a solid 25 cm thick slab solution was applied.
To support the basement level, Munich-type retaining walls were constructed, totaling 1,500 m². These walls provided temporary peripheral containment during construction and became permanent at the project’s conclusion.
Externally, the two volumes are clad in prefabricated reinforced concrete panels with a stereotomy design, while the central body is covered in vertical wooden slats.
The interior finishes distinguish between the southern volume, intended for social spaces, and the northern volume, which houses the exhibition areas.
One of the project’s main challenges was the need to soundproof each room, which led to the implementation of a variety of acoustic solutions in the construction of floors, walls, and ceilings.
The Quake – Lisbon Earthquake Centre, built by Tecnovia S.A., is a landmark among Lisbon’s attractions, offering visitors a unique and immersive experience about one of the most significant events in the history of Portugal and the city of Lisbon — the great earthquake of November 1, 1755.
