The Gare do Oriente train station was constructed as the main passenger terminus for Expo98 show which was held just to the west of the station.
The organizing committee invited designers to submit plans for the muti-tier station that could also act as an exhibit hall during the exposition.
The Spanish designer Santiago Calatrava was selected in 1994 and construction started a year later. The station was officially opened on the 19th May 1998.