Centre for the Unknown
The new clinic and research facility is the site of Portugal's best-equipped foundation. It is setting new standards in oncological research, which is the focus of the Champalimaud Foundation's work. Outpatient treatment takes place under the same roof as basic research. The building complex on the banks of the Tagus, designed by Mumbai-based architect Charles Correa, also incorporates public space in the form of an amphitheater, a conference and restaurant area and the foundation's headquarters.
Porcelain bringing tradition and modernity together
The name "Centre for the Unknown" refers to the fact that the site that hosts the foundation was the location from which, centuries ago, Portuguese navigators sailed off on their voyages of discovery into the unknown. Pictogram panels made of porcelain are a major feature of the project and are used to identify places and give directions. Porcelain, a material with a rich tradition in Portugal, has characteristics that also make it exceptionally well suited to use in the medical field. This combines the core values of the Champalimaud Foundation as an institution that has a sense of tradition and yet is innovative at the same time. The corporate design was created in 2005 by Studio Dumbar, Rotterdam.
