Lisbon's exceptional Design Museum is one of the world's leading museums of 20th century design and several critics see its collection as the best in Europe.
It opened in 1999 in Belem Cultural Center and closed in August 2006 to reopen in a new space in early 2009.

It will be renamed the Design and Fashion Museum or simply MuDe (which also means "change" in Portuguese), and will also include Portuguese businessman Francisco Capelo's fashion collection made up of 1200 couture pieces, including a famous Jean Desses gown that Renee Zellweger wore to the 2001 Oscars and Christian Dior's landmark 1947 New Look.

The design collection consists of works by some 230 designers representing trends in design from around the world. There are works by design icons such as Phillipe Starck, Charles Eames, George Nelson, Arne Jacobsen, Paul Henningsen, Vener Panton, Masanori Umeda, Henning Koppel, and Tom Dixon, and includes almost 200 design classics embracing innovative furnishings, glass, and jewelry from 1937 to the present.

Until the official reopening, there will be occasional temporary exhibitions of the pieces. They take place at Sala do Risco, a space by Saint Anthony Church and the Cathedral (Largo de Santo António à Sé, 22; Phone: +351 21 888 6117).

When: Scheduled to open in early 2009 What: www.mude.pt

Sights Nearby

Santo Antonio Church - Saint Anthony's birthplace.
The Cathedral - The city's oldest building.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol - Standing over Alfama's rooftops and church towers.
Miradouro de Santa Luzia - Views of the river and Alfama.
Saint George's Castle - Overlooking the city from millennium-old walls.
The Roman Theater - The archaological remains of a once large Roman theater.
Decorative Arts Museum - A captivating decorative arts collection.