Lisbon
Kiosks
Text
: Rafael Vieira
The
portuguese word quiosque
comes etymologically from the french Kiosque,
that in turn borrowed it from the turkish Kosk.
And so, also the derivation kiosk in english. It means pavilion and
it's classically an octagonal prism with openings in all it's faces,
erected in steel decorated with romantic and floral ornaments. It
spread around the 19th
Century, when it also hit the Lisbon cityscape, connected with
romantic ideals and the see-and-be-seen strolls by the emerging
bourgeoisie and also more practical reasons of serving the common
populace. A rough count puts their numbers around 40 in the city of
Lisbon, most of them that where recently extracted from a long
process of decay in place since the 80ies and 90ies. Due to a furious
desire for a Lisbon facelift and a constant urban renovation, the
municipality recovered and concessioned – still in process – most
of the quiosques
in the city centre. Representing a gift to the city dwellers, as well
as a catalyst to business and a new social dynamic, several examples
emerge as representatives of this operation: the 3 Quiosque
de Refresco
recovered beverages from the past and the 5 in Liberdade Avenue and
those in Estrela Garden present a regular and trendy cultural
program.