PLANS for a new purpose-built museum to house Lisbon’s famous collection of early 20th, 19th and 18th century coaches have been unveiled.
The new coach museum project, paid for from gambling proceeds from Lisbon Casino and the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation through the Lisbon Tourist Board will be located on Lisbon’s Avenida da India in a revamped building once used by the army.
The museum’s interior will be “simple and sober” so that the coaches can really shine for themselves and be admired, said Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha.
He said he was extremely “excited and nervous” when offered the contract since this was probably “the best collection of non-motorised coaches in the world”.
The refurbishment plan will cost 31.5 million euros, with most of this being paid for by taxes from Lisbon Casino which are earmarked for investment in tourism projects.
The plan is that the new museum should be officially opened on October 5, 2010 as part of the Republic Day celebrations.
The project also includes exhibition spaces, souvenir shops, bookshops and a café and will tie in with urban redevelopment modernisation plans along Rua da Junqueira.
Access to the 15,177sqm museum will be through two 75-person lifts incorporated within a glass sheath.
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