‘Between Hierarchy, Efficiency and Pragmatism: Picturing Portuguese Government Offices in Historic Buildings during the Estado Novo Dictatorship’: a chapter by Ana Mehnert Pascoal

Ana Mehnert Pascoal’s chapter ‘Between Hierarchy, Efficiency and Pragmatism: Picturing Portuguese Government Offices in Historic Buildings during the Estado Novo Dictatorship’ has been published by Leuven University Press in the open-acess book Behind Office Doors. Use and Users in the History of Office Buildings, edited by Jens van de Maele.

The visual essay considers Portuguese government offices under the Estado Novo dictatorship, particularly the use of ministerial offices in the historic buildings on Lisbon’s Terreiro do Paço during the 1930-1960 period, by analysing a set of historical photographs. These spaces served to project the regime’s authority and link its governance to the nation’s glorious past. The investigation illustrates that although the buildings embodied the centralised and hierarchical nature of the state, they also exposed the difficulties of working within outdated and restrictive spaces. Despite permanent need for improvisation, the regime managed to maintain its authority by combining heritage preservation and logistical challenges.

The book is accessible here.