Sara Van-Deste is Global Operations Manager in Splendia’s Barcelona office. Here she shares some of her favourite spots in her native Lisbon.
What do you love most about Lisbon?
I love that it’s a city of character and contrasts – from picturesque barrios maintaining the marks of history, to futuristic architecture and trendy lifestyles.
Which is your favourite area? 
Chiado – an elegant district of old style cafes, theatres, bookshops and fashion boutiques. Much of the area was destroyed by a massive fire in 1988. However, all the destroyed buildings have been restored by Álvaro de Siza Vieira, a famous Portuguese architect.
Which are your favourite design and architecture landmarks?
I love the Belem Monuments: Jerónimo’s Monastery, Monumento aos Descobrimentos and the Belem Tower, which is listed as an UNESCO world heritage site.
Also, one of the most stunning modern sights in Lisbon is the Gare do Oriente train station. It was built by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava with a roof of glass and steel made to look like a row of trees.
Which are your favourite museums?
I like the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, which has a wide collection of both ancient and modern art. Sharing the lovely botanical garden is The Modern Art Centre, which houses contemporary and modern Portuguese art as well as an important collection of 20th century British art.
I also like the CCB – Centro Cultural de Belem – one of the major cultural centres in Europe. It plays host to a variety of festivals, art performances and galleries on design, photography and architecture. Continue reading →
Odile Dicks-Mireaux is a BAFTA award-winning costume designer based in London. A background in Theatre Design led to a contract at the BBC in the 1980s, where she worked on iconic British classics Dr Who and Black Adder. Leaving the daleks and tardis behind, she has gone on to create the looks for hit movies such as The Constant Gardener, An Education and the recent of adaptation of bestselling book by David Nicholls, One Day. Odile may have worked with Hollywood royalty, but the born-and-bred Londoner has always made the capital city her home.
Venice