One of the most beloved and undeniably successful museums in the Portuguese-speaking world, the Museum of the Portuguese Language is preparing to reopen its doors after the fire it suffered in 2015. The opportunity to rethink the institution and understand its relationship with the public were the guiding principles that aligned with the new usage needs and desires for improvement that permeated the entire concept behind the building's rehabilitation.
The Project and Its Guidelines
The original project by Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Pedro Mendes da Rocha remained the starting point for the renovation; therefore, the major interventions previously designed for the building, as well as the concept itself, were maintained. In fact, many of the upcoming updates had already been discussed in the past but were not implemented for various reasons.
On the ground floor, visitors will see one of the first improvements of the new museum. Fulfilling a request from heritage protection agencies, Luz Station—historically built "just for show" to hide the train platforms in a highly atypical station typology where pedestrians walk on the ground floor and the trains run underground—will now become visually and physically more permeable by activating the east and west wing lobbies.
The main intervention made by the architects in the original project was the introduction of four elevators in the towers. However, in the past, the exhibition layout was designed as a narrative sequence starting and ending at the same point. Operational issues also led visitors to circulate only through the east wing, leaving them unaware of the west area and its elevators.
Today, the exhibition has been redesigned. Although there is a suggested route, it offers visitors the freedom to explore without a fixed beginning or end, as it no longer relies on a rigid narrative. Consequently, the ground floor will be activated through its programming and multiple access points: the west wing will feature a ticket office for scheduled visits, such as large groups and school field trips, alongside a gift shop, while the east wing will continue to serve as the entrance for walk-in visitors and will house a café. Additionally, a glass-and-steel structure was chosen to cover the courtyards, creating a dialogue with the architectural language of the neighboring art museum, the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo.
Updates on the Ground Floor
Three main changes will take place on the ground floor. In the previous design, it was not possible to bury the elevator pits, meaning they remained visible on the floor slab, creating steps and uneven levels in the courtyard. Today, technology has allowed the pits to be moved underground into CPTM areas, integrating all courtyards on a single level.
Previously, the air conditioning machinery occupied the ground floor. In the current project, it was possible to create larger technical catwalks and move this equipment to the rear facades, freeing up more space in the courtyards.
Finally, the decorative arches on the building's facade have been opened. Despite being misaligned, these new openings bring permeability to the station, which is now more connected to the surrounding streets, fostering physical and visual integration that creates a public gathering space.
New Access and a Rooftop Café
A new elevator and emergency staircase, required by the fire department, have been installed in the Clock Tower. They will provide the main access to the new café on the station's roof, offering views of the surroundings and, particularly, the lush greenery of Jardim da Luz Park. This new access also connects with the CPTM concourse, which sees 300,000 daily commuters, and can be opened for specific activities designed to draw some of this crowd into the museum.
Within this same concourse, a mezzanine that connects the two wings of the building had previously remained closed to the public. Now, visitors will be able to access and walk through this space from the second floor, observing the crowd passing through the train station below.
New Program in the West Wing
Luz Station has suffered two fires, one in 1946 and another in 2015. Fortunately, due to the building's layout, neither of these reached the west wing, which retains its original 1901 architecture—a true architectural gem of the city. It will now be opened to the public in a controlled manner, housing the Museum of the Portuguese Language Reference Center (which will feature a research and study hub), the museum's administration, and multipurpose rooms for courses, activities, and small exhibitions.
Exhibition Space
Previously, the museum only occupied the east and central wings. Notably, following the renovations after the 1946 fire, the east wing received an extra floor, meaning it has one more level than the west wing. As a result, the third floor is the only one that allows for end-to-end occupancy, showcasing the full length of the building.
In the previous intervention, Paulo Mendes da Rocha designed a large screen for this floor, echoing the elongated proportion of the station's trains. This feature will be retained, but its content and setup will be updated with new technology. By using short-throw projectors, the equipment can be placed close to the screen, preventing visitors from casting shadows and freeing up more space for movement and other wall displays.
Former service areas will also be transformed into exhibition spaces: the video previously shown on the large screen will now be projected in a mini-auditorium format, while another room will host the *Beco das Palavras* (Word Alley). Furthermore, the Timeline will be updated to include new historical and international facts, reassessing how the history of the language is interpreted and establishing an even stronger presence in the space.
Praça da Língua and Construction Challenges
Located on the fourth floor of the east wing, the "Praça da Língua" (Language Square)—widely considered the most impactful experience of the Museum of the Portuguese Language—will remain in the same location, but with some updates. While the previous volume and composition were respected, the team had the opportunity to design a more contemporary structure. After negotiations with heritage protection agencies and the fire department, a hybrid structure of wood and steel tie-rods was selected.
Wood was chosen for its safety performance in fire events. Because it burns from the outside in, it creates an insulating char layer that delays structural collapse—unlike steel structures, which melt at certain high temperatures. To achieve this, the structural cross-section was calculated by factoring in a 5 cm sacrifice layer around the perimeter of the members, which determined the final dimensions of the wooden trusses.
The building is aiming for LEED certification. Consequently, the sourcing of wood (and other materials) underwent rigorous quality control. For the trusses, solid wood was sourced from Itacoatiara, in the Amazon region. During the process, the team discovered that the domestic certified wood market is highly export-oriented and geared toward standardized dimensions. For a custom project like this, finding a supplier willing to work outside standard sizes posed a significant challenge.
Another lesson learned was that when purchasing the timber, it is not possible to select a specific species beforehand; instead, buyers must choose from what is available during the harvesting season—in this case, Cumaru was used. Ultimately, the process involves purchasing the tree in the forest, monitoring the harvest, kiln drying, transport, and other steps. A massive logistical effort is required to build the project exactly as envisioned.
Additionally, some of the wood from the old trusses that survived the fire was recycled and reused to manufacture the window frames on the third floor.
If language is what unites us and enables human community, the Museum of the Portuguese Language will return with an even stronger architectural identity, integrating with its surroundings and opening its doors to more people than ever. Understanding not only our history and language but also how we inhabit spaces—whether in a museum, a transit hub, or the city itself—is a vital step for a constantly evolving society striving for a better future.
INFO
The Museum of the Portuguese Language is an initiative of the São Paulo State Government in partnership with the Roberto Marinho Foundation, with private sector partners including EDP, Grupo Itaú, and Grupo Globo. The opening of the new museum is scheduled for the first half of 2019 (with an exact date yet to be announced) at its original location, Luz Station in São Paulo.
This article was written by Victor Delaqua. The translation is powered by AI.
