Panorâmico de Monsanto

Currently closed for safety reasons — daredevils might find a way over the fence, maybe not right at the main entrance.

In the 1930s, the Ministry of Public Works under Duarte Pacheco decided to reforest an eroded area for agriculture — Francisco Keil do Amaral designed the vast Monsanto Park with sports facilities and a racetrack where even Formula 1 races were held in the 1950s. Pacheco enjoys a relatively good reputation even today, despite being significantly responsible for Salazar’s rise to power as a dictator. Amaral is an important architect of this period, responsible for the Lisbon Airport and many metro stations in the city.

The plan included a 7,000-square-meter restaurant to entertain important people at the highest point in the city. As often happens with prestigious construction projects, implementation was delayed due to costs. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Carlos Chaves Costa built a circular concrete building with a radius of 16 meters, five floors, and a 270° view. Not much remains of the costly interior work today. The restaurant opened in 1970, eight years after planning began and two years after the operating concession was granted. For just two years, a few state receptions and important parties were held there before it closed. In between, it served as offices and storage; our first contact with the monstrosity was during the techno era: people partied not quite legally but very excessively.

 

 

 

Then maybe nothing happened for about 20 years. Until the tourism boom hit, and the Panorâmico became an Instagram secret tip. Therefore, the city installed some fences and cleared away the worst trash while street artists did good work on the old walls. In 2023, a padlock was placed on the construction fence, with a note about a temporary closure. What that means is somewhat unclear, especially since the estimated renovation costs of 25 million euros need to come from somewhere — a nature museum is under discussion. We’ll see. If you’re already in the area: the Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira is just a few minutes away.