Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum
Aires Mateus · Cascais, Portugal · 2007
The Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum joins a historic coastal fort and working lighthouse with a contemporary visitor intervention by Aires Mateus. Opened in 2007, the museum uses restrained new volumes and precise openings to clarify the relationship between the existing structures and the sea. The familiar blue-and-white lighthouse remains the vertical marker, while the lower additions organize the museum route and supporting spaces. This is a useful small-scale example of working within a layered heritage site. The recorded completion year refers to the museum project rather than the construction of the original lighthouse. Visiting: The completion date refers to the museum intervention, not the historic lighthouse. Tower access depends on the published programme.