Centro Cultural de Belem (CCB)

The Belem Cultural Centre otherwise referred to as the CCB (Centro Cultural de Belem), was built to house the European presidency during the term starting in 1992. Now the venue has been converted into a large cultural centre hosting performing operas ballets and mobile art displays. There is a wide variety of performances hosted here so check local listing for available shows.

The Centro Cultural de Belem is fashioned out of gray stone and won the award for International Stone Architecture Award at the Verona Fair in 1993, but seeing a mass of gray stone walls makes me wonder how many nominations there were that year!

The Centro Cultural de Belem faces the same pak as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and this is much more worthy of a visit. Contained within the Inside the Centro Cultural de Belem there are:

• An auditorium for; opera, ballet, symphony concerts.
• High security meeting halls, specially designed for when portugal hosted the European council.
• A 7,000m exhibition area which displays traveling exhibitions.
• The Jacques Delors European Information Centre
  

History of the Centro Cultural de Belem

The Belem Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural de Belem)was constructed incredibly rapidly one the nomination for the head of the European presidency had been confirmed, the actual construction started in 1989 and was finished in 1992, slightly ahead of schedule and in time to house the presidency. The chief architects were Vittorio Gregotti and Manuel Salgado; the interior was planned by Daciano Costa.

After the presidency they was a period when the building severally underused but as the reputation of the Centro Cultural de Belem grew it was able to attract world renowned traveling expositions and performances. From 1999 until 2006 the Centro Cultural de Belem housed the Design Museum but this moved to Rossio and opened in 2009. This space has now been filled by the Berardo Museum which displays Modern and contemporary art.