MuBE - Brazilian Museum of Sculpture

“The triangular plot of land, measuring 75,000 square feet (7,000 m²), is located on a main street connecting the residential neighborhood Jardin Europea with the city center. Instead of a classical building freely placed on the plot, the terrain and the museum are treated as one whole. Large slabs have partially created underground interior spaces while simultaneously forming an outdoor square with pools and a promenade. The complex design is realized in simple forms using exposed concrete. An enormous beam, 197 feet long and 39 feet wide (60x13m), frames the museum and creates an arcade or shelter covering the entrance. It is a noticeable feature of the museum in dialogue with the city.”

Mendes' Brazilian sculptural museum in São Paulo is a simple yet provocative design that works with a giant translation, giving the museum a distinctive character while also meeting the need to protect and shade the outdoor square. All care is directed towards the visitor, who uses the square for relaxation, enjoyment, and watching performances.
The main entrance to the museum hides beneath the square. The varying ceiling heights of the museum's individual rooms create an outdoor stepped terrain that is cut through by the "slit" of the entrance. It is also remarkable how the "framing of views" occurs with a gray rectangular mass against the lush vegetation surrounding it. Depending on the observer's position, their field of vision narrows or widens, causing the visitor to experience the landscape of the museum differently each time.
Mendes’ building was among the finalists for the 1998 Mies van der Rohe Award for Latin American architecture, which was ultimately won by Enrique Norten (TEN Arquitectos) for a multipurpose building in Mexico. This award was both stimulating for local architects and helped to highlight contemporary Latin architecture, which is often overlooked in the Western world.
We owe the provision of images for our portal to Brazilian photographer Nelson Kon.