The Gustavo Capanema Palace, located in Rio de Janeiro and recognized as a benchmark for Brazilian architecture and arts, is scheduled to reopen to the public in 2024. On the 15th of this month, the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) presented a new proposal for the building's use. From the ground floor to the rooftop terrace, the building will be transformed into a series of spaces dedicated to exhibitions on art and the formation of Brazilian society, while also hosting administrative operations for agencies linked to the Ministry of Culture.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Culture Margareth Menezes, the Ministry of Culture's Executive Secretary Marcio Tavares dos Santos, and the President of Iphan Leandro Grass, alongside representatives from other institutions linked to the Ministry of Culture, such as the National Arts Foundation (Funarte), the Palmares Cultural Foundation (FCP), the National Library Foundation (FBN), the Brazilian Museum Institute (Ibram), and the National Cinema Agency (Ancine). The purpose of the meeting was to present and discuss a proposal for the building's use—which has been undergoing renovations since 2018—reuniting the institutions that previously occupied its floors while bringing a fresh perspective to the landmark.
“This is a national symbol, an important modern heritage asset, and one that will soon be accessible to the public once again through exhibitions, Heritage Education initiatives, and other key projects,” commented Leandro Grass. The new proposal aims to open the building to the public while accommodating the administrative activities of the Ministry of Culture and its associated institutions. One of the proposals is to transform the “minister’s floor,” which includes a terrace garden and the Candido Portinari space, into a public visiting area. The ninth floor, previously used exclusively for classes in Iphan’s Professional Master’s program, will be converted into a multipurpose space open to the public.
The top four floors of the building are expected to be dedicated to exhibitions by institutions linked to the Ministry of Culture. Spaces will be allocated for exhibitions by the National Center for Folklore and Popular Culture, the Palmares Cultural Foundation, the Brazilian Museum Institute, and the National Arts Foundation. The rooftop terrace, overlooking the city, will continue to host a café and a restaurant.
The Building
Construction of the building began in 1937, during the Getúlio Vargas administration, to house the Ministry of Education and Health. Completed in 1945, the building has since been considered a landmark of Brazilian modernist architecture, positioning Brazil as an international reference. Several renowned architects participated in its design, including Oscar Niemeyer, Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Jorge M. Moreira, and Lucio Costa, with Le Corbusier serving as a consultant.
The building was later named the Gustavo Capanema Palace in honor of the Minister of Education and Health at the time of its development. The palace became a prominent home for important national artistic references, housing artworks such as paintings and murals by Candido Portinari, sculptures by Bruno Giorgio, Adriana Janacópulos, Celso Antônio, and Jacques Lipchitz, as well as gardens designed by Burle Marx.
In 2016, the Capanema Palace was occupied by social movements and artists protesting the closure of the Ministry of Culture. In 2021, plans were announced to sell public buildings to the private sector, including the Capanema Palace—a proposal that was widely rejected by the cultural sector and Brazilian society as a whole.
Via Iphan.
This article was written by ArchDaily Team. The translation is powered by AI.
