Learning from Lisbon or, how postmodernism conquered Portugal

The Amoreiras shopping centre in Lisbon is an icon of Portuguese postmodernism. When it first opened in 1985, its kitsch design stood out conspicuously amidst a landscape of smart Pombaline shopping streets, social housing tower blocks and tourist-friendly houses clad in “traditional” azulejo tiles. But it also reflect-ed a pivotal moment in Portuguese history and still stands today as a reminder of the consum-erist aspirations of post-revolutionary Portu-gal, the neoliberal policies that have come to dominate life in many Western nations and the stark contradictions of global capital-ism. Departing from an initial discussion of Amoreiras, this short essay critically explores recent transformations to Lisbon’s urban and architectural landscape and traces their politi-cal and economic origins. In so doing, it sug-gests ways in which postmodernism might be considered a relevant concept for describing contemporary Portuguese society.