PORTUGAL MODERN
José Maria Dias Coelho’s Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes showcasing a brutalist concrete tower with a prominent spire, cross, and composite material elements.
José Maria Dias Coelho’s Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes showcasing a brutalist concrete tower with a prominent spire, cross, and composite material elements. José Maria Dias Coelho’s Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes showcasing brutalist architecture with a concrete triangular structure and composite material elements emphasizing daylighting. José Maria Dias Coelho’s Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes showcasing a traditional cross atop the parish building with religious architectural elements and a prominent façade. José Maria Dias Coelho’s Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes showcasing brutalist architecture with a composite material façade and a prominent cross as a religious symbol. José Maria Dias Coelho’s Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes showcasing a composite material façade with a prominent cross and religious symbols integrated into the memorial structure.
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The architectural design of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes (in the Parque das Nações, Lisbon) was created by the architect José Maria Dias Coelho.

This church, dedicated to Our Lady of the Navigators, was conceived to serve a growing parish community in the redeveloped Parque das Nações area (which emerged from Expo 98).

The building is characterised by a circular plan, permitting the congregation to be arranged around the altar rather than in traditional linear rows. This layout reflects liturgical renewal after the Second Vatican Council.

A striking feature is its 40-metre high tower, evoking maritime themes and the church’s connection to seafaring, aligned with Lisbon’s history and the Expo 98 context.

Inside, the artwork by sculptor Alípio Pinto evokes the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, and the main retable references the Transfiguration of Christ.

The church was formally dedicated on 30 March 2014.