The ALVALADE neighbourhood

…Alvalade, the ultimate modernist neighborhood built from scratch in the beginning of the 20th century, following the most innovative architectural and urbanistic projects, has become the place where past and future collide…. (BIMAA)

I learned about Alvalade by chance; ever since I’ve arrived in town, I was looking for a professional camera dealer and it turns out that there is one in Alvalade (Just right above the metro station!) The second time I learned about it was from a very beautiful black & white photograph of Avenida da Igreja, dating back to the mid 20th century.

Two weeks ago, I decided to walk around the area and it was not at all disappointing. The wide boulevard of Avenida da Igreja, flanked by two rows of low-rises; with shops and cafés all along the way makes the place so welcoming and pleasant.

The Alvalade neighbourhood is always associated with the concept of “modernism”.

When the area was planned in 1945, it was meant to be a modern area to accommodate 45,000 inhabitants in 12,000 dwellings. Faria da Costa, an architect trained in Paris was the mastermind behind this ambitious project.

I’d say this is one of the neatest neighbourhood in Lisbon. It turns out that hygiene was taken so seriously when designing this new area.

Constantly bearing in mind the importance of hygiene in the housing blocks, such housing blocks were designed and implemented according to its orientation, yet without neglecting the concern for each house’s hygiene. (Sofia Barroco)

Fast forward to 2015, one can obviously see signs of aging and history while strolling in Alvalade; after all, that modernity connotes the ambitions of 1940s. Since then, everything stayed intact, one feels like walking in the post-war era of Europe and travels back in time. Or shall I put it this way? When one is in Alvalade, it is like using a well-functioning old machine that delivers results as good as an electronic one. You still get the quality of life of a modern dweller; everything was designed to be sturdy. In short, Alvalade was designed to be an “ideal”.

Two Y-shape buildings at the junction of Avenida da Igreja and Avenida de Roma.

Two Y-shape buildings at the junction of Avenida da Igreja and Avenida de Roma.

Escola Secundária Rainha D. Leonor

Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil

The Municipal Market in the neighbourhood, where prices are generally cheaper than the supermarkets.

At the junction of Avenida dos Estados Unidos da America and Av. de Roma stands four buildings, one at each side of the junction, with the same architectural style, if not identical. A very typical Portuguese architectural style popular in the 20th century.

At the junction of Avenida dos Estados Unidos da America and Av. de Roma stands four buildings, one at each side of the junction, with the same architectural style, if not identical. A very typical Portuguese architectural style popular in the 20th century.

A neighbourhood gym, which is a recent recreational addition to the area.

[Post originally written in September 2015]