Designation
Chemistry Laboratory
Current occupation
Musem of Science
Ownership
University of Coimbra
Art-historical characterisation
During the Pombaline Reform of the University of Coimbra in 1772, the aim was to implement critical and experimental teaching at the university, especially in the sciences. To this end, a facility for the experimental teaching of chemistry was built on the former premises of the refectory and kitchen of the now-extinct College of the Society of Jesus: the Chemistry Laboratory. The project was designed by the English lieutenant colonel Guilherme Elsden together with his assistant officer Joaquim de Oliveira, based on a model brought from Vienna, Austria, where the “said art has reached the stage of the greatest perfection”.
The main façade stands out for its neoclassical composition of symmetrical lines and balanced proportions, with large windows framed by pilasters, an entablature of triangles and a balustrade crowned with a succession of urns, from which the central body stands out, formed by four Doric columns that support the main crown and a triangular pediment with the inscription “Laboratório Chimico” (Chemistry Laboratory).
In 2006, part of the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra was installed there, which is still in operation today. This award-winning project houses Portugal's oldest museum of natural history and scientific instruments, with pieces dating back to the 18th century.
