East Tower Gallery

East Tower of the National Ropeworks

The Torreão Nascente is the municipal gallery set in the tower at the eastern end of the Cordoaria Nacional, the national ropeworks, in Junqueira. The building dates back to the 1770s, when the Marquis of Pombal ordered the construction of the Royal Ropeworks Factory, to a design attributed to the architect Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos. The factory, which made the rigging for ships, belonged to the Navy and has two parallel wings, each more than 350 metres long; in 1902 it also took in part of the School of Tropical Medicine, and it has been a National Monument since 1996. The exhibition space of the Torreão Nascente, of about 1,250 square metres, was created in 1995 under an agreement between the Navy and Lisbon City Council, and the Municipal Galleries have held exhibitions here since 2003. After works from 2020 to 2023, designed by the architect Sofia Abrantes, it also has a bookshop. The exhibitions, of Portuguese and international contemporary art, fill the rooms of the tower, and admission is free. It stands on Avenida da Índia, between Alcântara and Belém, a few steps from the river.

Located at: Galerias Municipais
Address: Avenida da Índia, 1300-299 Lisboa
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00 (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +351 213 646 128
Coordinates: 38.6979, -9.1883
Buses: 728, 714, 727, 751, 732, 73B
Tram: 15E
Train: Cascais Line, Belém Station
Boat: Belém River Station
Opened: 1995 (31 years)