Realizing the Queen’s Vision

Founded in 1796 as the Royal Public Library of the Court, the National Library of Portugal took over 170 years to find its permanent home, after two temporary locations. Designed in 1952, it was Portugal’s first modern library and the final work of architect Porfírio Pardal Monteiro, completed in 1969 after his death. 

Designed to fulfill Queen Maria I’s vision of a "dedicated and well-equipped institution, complete with all necessary facilities and workshops", it was, at the time of its inauguration, the second-largest building in Portugal. Its modern architecture and ambitious urban scale played a key role in reshaping Lisbon’s cultural landscape.