Burle Marx to gain cultural center in house designed by Niemeyer

A project that celebrated the union of Niemeyer 's architecture with Burle Marx 's landscaping will now serve as a Cultural Center to house the physical and digital collection of the great landscaper, who will have passed away 30 years ago in 2024: Casa Cavanelas , located in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, was donated to the Burle Marx Institute . The collection will feature more than 100,000 items – including sketches, models and letters by Burle Marx. New buildings are expected to emerge with the purpose of bringing more attractions for visitors; among them, cafés, an auditorium, a library and even areas for educators and researchers. The project for the new venture will be led by architect Thiago Bernardes and engineer José Luiz Canal, who led the construction of the Instituto Moreira Salles and the Centro Cultural da Luz in São Paulo. The invitation was made by architect and landscaper Isabela Ono, who heads the Instituto Burle Marx.

Burle Marx is known as one of the great precursors of modernist landscaping , as is Niemeyer for the architecture of the same movement. The gardens that permeate Casa Cavanelas are composed of native species of different colors and shapes, creating a surprising landscape. There is still no exact date for the opening of the Cultural Center. It is expected to open to the public in 2028 .