See what the new MASP building will look like, opening in 2024

In 2021, the São Paulo Museum of Art ( MASP ) announced its new expansion project – co-authored by Júlio Neves with the METRO Arquitetos firm – to expand the museum's physical space, incorporating its facilities into the neighboring building, on the corner of Prof. Otavio Mendes Street and Avenida Paulista. The new building, scheduled to open in the second half of 2024, will increase the museum's area by 6,945 m² and will open 14 new floors of galleries, classrooms, technical reserve, restoration laboratory, restaurant, shop and event areas. An underground connection will connect the two buildings: the historic building will be named after Lina Bo Bardi , the architect who designed it, and the new building will be named after Pietro Maria Bardi , the museum's founding director. The idea is that the main entrance to the museum will be through the new building, so that the original building will be used for long-term exhibitions and the newly opened one for temporary exhibitions. “We thought of an architectural solution to expand the museum’s space and operations, matching the physical structure to its institutional ambition, transforming it for future generations,” explains Martin Corullon , partner at METRO, a firm that has had a fruitful relationship with MASP since 2015. The new building will also house a restaurant, ticket office, shop, technical reserve, classrooms and restoration laboratory. When the renovation is complete, MASP's total area will be 17,680 m² (currently 10,485 m²). The benefits will be multiple: increased access to the public, since it will be possible to welcome a significantly larger number of visitors; a new and improved structure to offer courses and public programs (workshops, lectures, seminars, teacher training, etc.); a larger environment equipped with the latest technologies for the restoration and preservation of iconic works , which, added to the acquisitions made year after year, tell increasingly diverse, inclusive and plural stories of art.

"MASP's collection has been growing. Our plan is for the Lina building to be dedicated to exhibiting works that belong to the museum's collection , especially in the basement areas. The new galleries will be occupied by temporary exhibitions , all with high ceilings and equipped with state-of-the-art air conditioning and lighting systems," says Adriano Pedrosa, MASP's artistic director. Aiming for sustainable solutions to reduce the carbon footprint, the METRO project will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The use of LEDs in all lighting and the shading provided by the double façade reduces the internal thermal load and relieves the air conditioning system, making the building environmentally efficient. The cost of the project is around R$180 million and will be entirely financed by donations from individuals – following the characteristic that MASP has had since its foundation of engaging the private sector in the most diverse projects. This is the most significant achievement in the history of the museum after its transfer from Rua 7 de Abril, at the headquarters of Diários Associados, to Avenida Paulista, in 1968. Since then, the building designed by Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992) has become a postcard of the city and a symbol of modern architecture in the world in the 20th century.