Opened in 1968, the Masp is the most visited museum in the country. The incredible Masp project, designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi, has become a landmark on Paulista Avenue and an iconic symbol of the city of São Paulo.
The architect’s project for the museum consists of an underground block and another block raised above the floor to preserve the view of the city center. This elevated block, 8 meters away from the floor, is supported by 4 pillars, resulting in a free span of 74 meters, at the time it was considered the largest in the world. A curious fact about the iconic façade: despite being known for the red color of the pillars, they were originally gray, the color of exposed concrete. The red was painted in the 1990s. In the architect’s words, regarding the Masp project: “I didn’t look for beauty, I looked for freedom.”
The esplanade under the building, known as the “free space”, was designed to become a square for the population to use. In this space, the traditional antiques fair currently takes place on Sundays. In front of Masp, it is the starting point for political and social demonstrations that take place in the Avenida Paulista region.
MASP has the most important and comprehensive collection of Western art from Latin America and the southern hemisphere, covering African, American, Asian, Brazilian and European art, from Antiquity to the 21st century, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and clothes.
The collection includes works by Botticelli, El Greco, Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do Amaral and other important artists.
Lina Bo Bardi also came up with the idea for crystal easels. It is a rectangular concrete base that supports a glass plate where the works of art are fixed. A simple solution that brings transparency to the space and invites visitors to follow their own route.
In addition to the rich collection and rotating exhibition space, the building also has a library specializing in art, auditorium and souvenir shop.
Since April 2024, the building has been undergoing renovation work and is expected to last around 6 months. The free space at Masp was closed to the movement of people and the antiques fair was temporarily removed, but there is still no definition as to where the stalls will be relocated. Even with the renovation taking place, Masp will remain open for visitors.
Information
Address: Avenida Paulista, 1578 – Get Directions in Google Maps
Opening Hours: Tuesday free admission, 10 am – 8 pm
Wednesday to Sunday: 10 pm – 6 pm – Monday Closed
Tickets Here
Official Website: https://masp.org.br/en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masp