Macau, China, Sept. 10, 2026 (Lusa) - A Portuguese architectural firm has been included in a list of 10 teams invited to submit architectural design proposals for the future Macau National Museum of Culture, with the first phase due to be completed in 2029, it was announced on Thursday.
The museum will be the «flagship project, to be launched first» of the so-called International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone, «an important vehicle» for the city's cultural development, for the «appropriate diversification of the economy» and for strengthening «cultural exchange between China and the West», the president of the Macau Cultural Institute (IC) said today at a press conference.
Without revealing which «world-renowned» architectural firms had been invited to submit proposals to bring this project to fruition, Leong Wai Man noted that, of the 10 selected, four are European, including one from Portugal.
«All [the teams] have previously worked on large-scale projects and have also designed museums; four are from abroad, three from mainland China and three are local,» she said, adding that, in addition to Portugal, firms from Switzerland, England and the Netherlands had been invited.
The expectation, she noted, is that these projects will be able to, «based on the advantages of the project's location and the city's humanistic heritage, include elements of Chinese culture with the language of modern architectural design». «We had already decided with the National Museum of China that it would have certain Chinese characteristics; that is our conceptual idea,» she emphasised to journalists.
The proposals, she continued, must balance artistic and cultural elements with «practicality and sustainability, helping Macau to create a cultural landmark that reflects the city's positioning, the requirements of professional museum operations and international aesthetic standards».
Subsequently, experts in the fields of urban planning, architecture and museology, as well as representatives from public services, will be invited to evaluate the proposals, Leong Wai Man further explained, noting that she will only be able to provide a budget estimate for this project once the winning proposal has been selected.
The future museum, located in the coastal area to the east of the Macau Tower, near the Nam Wan and Sai Wan lakes, will cover around 100,000 square metres.
The main building, covering approximately 80,000 square metres, will include exhibition areas, collection spaces, areas for cultural exchange and research facilities. In addition to this core structure, the project also includes a commercial area dedicated to leisure and cultural tourism, covering around 20,000 square metres, an outdoor green space and an underground car park.
The IC expects the project designer to be selected later this year and the first phase to be completed by 2029, allowing for its partial opening whilst «simultaneously promoting the construction of the second phase».
In this first phase, the museum – which Leong Wai Man has described as the «city's reception room» – will showcase «the cultural history of Macau».
«In particular, as Macau is an important hub on the Maritime Silk Road, this section will be able to display all the stories and elements relating to Macau's history,» she emphasised.
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