Even when you grow up in a metropolis like Sao Paulo City (SPC) in Brazil, current population estimated to be 11 million people, you tend to develop behavioral patterns like any other teenager. For example, I remember leaving school with friends and looking for that cool hang-out spot.
Although my siblings and I were born and raised in SPC, my parents are from Paraguacu Paulista, a small town 300 miles west of the capital, current population estimated to be 40 thousand people. While my cousins would hang out in their town’s main square, my friends and I had to look for alternative areas within SPC’s dense urban fabric.
Although in mega cities the safest hang out areas tend to be the shopping centers’ food court, my friends and I were lucky to go to school just a few blocks from MASP – Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo Museum of Art. Now, as a designer, I can clearly see how inspired I was by MASP art collection and architecture.
MASP was founded by Brazilian businessman Assis Chateaubriand in 1947, and it was Brazil’s first contemporary art museum. It was originally located downtown until it moved into a brand new building at Paulista Avenue in 1968.
MASP’s impactful design made a significant contribution to global modern architecture. Designed by Lina Bo Bardi, the museum is divided between two blocks. The museum’s component above ground is a floating glass volume supported by two parallel monumental concrete beams painted in red [Felice will l-o-v-e it!].
A visitor approaches the building through a public area underneath the main structure, known as “free span”, which spans approximately 242 feet. The above-ground structure is connected to the below-grade complex through a glass elevator. The intention was to create a transparent portal between sidewalk and artwork, breaking the preconceived idea that art is elitist.
Design intention is also highlighted in the interiors. In order to reinforce its transparency, there are no solid partitions in the main exhibition space. All artwork in this floor is displayed in an open area, held by crystal easels also designed by the architect. Removing the artwork from the gallery perimeter wall creates fluid movement from piece to piece.
MASP collection contains more than 8.000 works, including paintings, sculptures, objects, photographs, and costumes from a wide range of periods, encompassing art from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In addition to its permanent collection exhibition, MASP organizes a number of temporary exhibitions, courses, and lectures, as well as musical, dance, and theater presentations.
If you are planning a trip to Brazil, this may be a great place to stop by and learn about Brazilian art and architecture. If you come by International Day of Peace [September 21st], you may as well join a group of passers-by meditating in name of a better world for all of us.
–Andy Vieira
