^{Credit: CML}

The Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa) has approved the architectural project for the Jewish Museum, to be built in the Belém parish. The project envisions an isolated building on the riverside front, with three floors above the threshold level.

During a private meeting of the executive chamber, the construction license for the Lisbon Jewish Museum (Museu Judaico de Lisboa) was approved by a majority vote. The Citizens of Lisbon party (elected through the PS/Livre coalition) voted against, while BE abstained, according to Lusa sources from the municipality.

Voting in favor of the proposal, which was submitted by Urbanism Councilor Joana Almeida (an independent elected by the "Novos Tempos" coalition of PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança), were councilors from the PS, PCP, and Livre parties, as well as the leadership of PSD/CDS-PP (which governs without an absolute majority).

The approval of the Jewish Museum project is "conditional" upon fulfilling requirements set by various entities, including the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DGPC), which provided an architectural assessment. Additionally, final approval depends on the completion of the urban operation, including the regularization of property ownership.

Concerns over legal issues and land ownership

In a statement released after the project’s approval, the Citizens of Lisbon councilors reaffirmed their "full support" for the creation of the Jewish Museum but argued that this vote "was not legally valid." They maintained that the city council should not have approved the architectural project before resolving issues related to the ownership of the land, which remains under municipal authority. Specifically, they pointed out that land exchanges still require approval from the Court of Auditors and that the surface rights of the association promoting the museum have yet to be formalized, creating a "high judicial and financial risk that could harm the public interest."

Project details and urban development

In April 2023, the Hagadá Association (Associação Hagadá) submitted a request to Lisbon City Council for a construction license for the Jewish Museum, based on a promissory contract for the establishment of surface rights on a municipal plot covering 6,678.32 square meters. The site is bordered by Rua de Pedrouços and Rua da Praia do Bom Sucesso to the north and by Avenida da Índia and Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto to the south, in the Belém parish.

"Highlighting the importance of the Jewish Community"

The Jewish Museum aims to "disseminate, in Portugal and worldwide, the importance of the Jewish community and its cultural expressions in shaping the history of Lisbon and the Portuguese cultural identity," according to the proposal submitted by Urbanism Councilor Joana Almeida.

To further discuss the project, in February 2024, Lisbon City Council launched a public debate, considering an exception to the municipal zoning regulations (Plano Diretor Municipal – PDM) regarding view protection rules. The debate resulted in 24 written contributions, which were reviewed by the authorities.

"It was confirmed that the proposal complies with the view protection system, based on the visual impact study presented," assured Councilor Joana Almeida.

Museum building specifications

The proposed Jewish Museum building will have a construction area of 2,000 square meters and a total built area of 6,055.64 square meters, stretching approximately 80 meters in length from east to west, according to municipal documents accessed by Lusa.

The museum is planned as a "singular" and "isolated" structure, designed specifically for cultural purposes. The building will have three floors above ground level and one underground level.

According to Lisbon City Council, the intervention will be carried out in two phases:

• Phase 1: Construction of the museum and the landscaped access area.
• Phase 2: Development of new buildings, reconfiguration of Rua da Praia de Pedrouços and Rua das Hortas, and demolition of certain municipal buildings to make way for further urbanization efforts.

As part of the urban development plan, no free land concessions are foreseen for the municipality to create public green spaces or collective-use facilities. However, the building's function does not require the creation of public parking spaces, though 15 outdoor parking spaces will be provided, two of which will be reserved for people with reduced mobility, along Rua da Praia de Pedrouços.

With information from Agência Lusa.