Lisbon’s iconic museum is closing between March 18 and July 2026.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon will close for renovations until July 2026. The intervention, which will begin on March 18, aims to renew the air conditioning, lighting, and security systems.

To mitigate the impact of this closure, between April 11 and September 1, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will display around 200 works in the gallery on the lower floor of the headquarters. Among them will be “some of the most emblematic pieces from what is considered the most extraordinary collection assembled by a single collector in the first half of the 20th century, which spans more than 5,000 years of history, from Antiquity to the 20th century,” according to the statement released by the institution.

Starting in March, the works will focus on “renewing the air conditioning, lighting and security systems, to adapt the Museum to current standards and requirements regarding the conservation and presentation of the collection”, explains the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Furthermore, the work takes into account “the management of the flow of visitors, which is now much higher than in the initial years, to improve the experience of visitors”, adds the institution.

According to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, “a comprehensive harmonisation of the various galleries, which have undergone interventions over the years, will also be undertaken to reaffirm the ideals of the original project of the Gulbenkian Museum,” ensuring “greater clarity and legibility in accessing the displayed works, including more information focusing on the figure of the collector and research into the Collection.”

The museum’s closure period will also be used to restore and study some paintings, with the collaboration of the Hércules Laboratory at the University of Évora.