International Museum Day: 5 institutions with architectural legacies

On this International Museum Day (18), check out 5 institutions where architecture is part of the cultural experience:

1. Whitney Museum of American Art

The most important contemporary art institution in the United States, the Whitney Museum of American Art, did not always have such a modern look. The museum was founded in 1931 by sculptor, socialite and art collector Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, but it was only in 2008 that it moved into the building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, located in New York's Meatpacking District. Previously, the institution occupied the Breuer Building, a completely enclosed building. This change of location was designed to establish a dialogue between the museum and the outside area. The architecture of the new Whitney allows the museum to be always open: There’s an entire column-free floor, completely connected and with multiple outdoor spaces — creating a space that challenges artists and visitors to interact with the building itself. “We want to use the building as a material for art, not just a place for art. We see the building as an instrument to be played,” says Adam Weinberg, the museum’s director.

2. House of Roses

A breath of classical architecture amidst the skyscrapers of Avenida Paulista, Casa das Rosas has remained virtually intact since 1935, when it was designed by architect Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo — who also designed the Pinacoteca do Estado, the Teatro Municipal, the Prédio da Light and the Mercado Público de São Paulo. The mansion was a residence until 1986, and a few years later, the commercial growth of the region threatened to demolish it. In 1991, however, the mansion's listing and cultural heritage status prevented this from happening. In 2004, the house became the Haroldo de Campos Poetry and Literature Space. Since then, the space has established itself as a museum that disseminates and promotes literature in the city of São Paulo, through exhibitions, courses, literary workshops, lectures, debates, book launches, musicals, poetry readings and plays. In addition, the architecture of the space preserves the historical memory of the city — which makes it possible to understand the urban and cultural transformations of São Paulo.

3. Luis Barragan House

On a small street in a working-class neighborhood in Mexico City lies one of the most influential contemporary architectural works in Latin America. The site that encompasses the Casa Luis Barragán symbolizes an aspect that the museum conveys with its architecture: the uniqueness of a dwelling that resists the commercial pressures of today's urban dynamics.

In addition to being an art museum, the house where Mexican architect Luis Barragán lived until his death has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 — the only individual property in Latin America to receive this title.

4. Currency Museum

Between the National Bank of Angola and the Bay of Luanda, is the Currency Museum, opened in 2015. The space already attracts attention with the large sculptures placed in the center, but the architectural project manages to surprise even more when discovering that the museum equipment is stored below the land line. To access the collection, you have to go underground — an idea designed to preserve the silence and privacy that museums require. Above ground, an urban square is responsible for connecting the museum with the city, in addition to engaging the public space .

5. Museum of Islamic Art

For years, the Museum of Islamic Art was the only major architectural project in Doha, Qatar. Designed by IM Pei, the building was built on a stone structure that rises above the water. In every element of his design, Pei emphasizes ancient Islamic architecture in his design for the museum — as in other works by the architect, such as the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo. Using geometric shapes and panoramic views of the bay, the architecture enriches the collection of Islamic art in the museum.