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Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos

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Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Exterior Photography
© Leonardo Finotti

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Exterior Photography, CityscapePietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 2 of 35Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 3 of 35Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 4 of 35Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - More Images+ 30

  • Architects: Metro Arquitetos
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  82 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Leonardo Finotti
  • Lead Architects: Martin Corullon, Gustavo Cedroni
  • Collaborators: Renata Mori, Rafael Souza, Matheus Soares Alves, Fernando Comparini, Eduardo Toscano, Martin Corullon, Gustavo Cedroni Andréa Lakatos, Paula dal Maso, Rebeca Guglielmo, Amanda Amicis, Fabiane Sakai, Stella Bloise, Breno Felisbino
  • Project Managers: Miriam Elwig, Joana Elito, Leonardo Andrade
  • Steel And Concrete Structures: Cia. De Projetos – Heloísa Maringoni
  • Demolition Project: SOFT Projetos Estruturais – Silvio Feitosa Filho
  • Foundation Project: MG&A Consultores – Mauri e Ilan Gotlieb
  • Underground Passage Project: Contag – Antônio Kenan
  • Air Conditioning: Teknika – Raul de Almeida
  • Lighting: Fernanda Carvalho e Paula Carnelós
  • Installation Design: MHA Engenharia
  • Facade And Frame Design: QMD Consultoria – Igor Alvim
  • Fencing Design: Inovatec Consultores
  • Acoustics: Harmonia Global – Marcos Holz
  • Waterproofing: Petra – José Mário Andrello
  • Flooring Design: Mix Design – Eduardo Tartuce
  • Landscaping: Ricardo Vianna
  • Accessibility Design: Design Universal Consultoria – Silvana Cambiaghi
  • Pre Construction: Racional Engenharia
  • Museological Air Conditioning: Hypocaustum – Bruno Fedeli
  • Fire Prevention And Fighting: Feurtec – Nilton Miranda
  • Elevators And Loading Platforms: Rumo Vertical – Fernão Fischel
  • Concrete Pathologies: PHD – Paulo Helene
  • Exposed Concrete Treatment: GR Consultoria – Gabriel Regino
  • Facade Maintenance: PB Sistemas de Ancoragem – Márcia Pinheiro
  • Relocation Of Underground Networks: Integer – Frederico Noyma
  • Legalizations: Enproplan – Weller Alves
  • Cqp Foundations: Consultrix – Marcelo Ferreira
  • Cqp Masp Concrete: Figueiredo Ferraz Consultoria e Engenharia de Projeto – Roberto Alves
  • Cqp Installations: MS Consultoria – Mario Sérgio Junqueira
  • Cqp Metal Structures: Projeto Alpha – Flávio D’Alambert
  • Cqp Concrete Structures: SOFT Projetos Estruturais – Silvio Feitosa Filho
  • Dynamic Load Analysis: Sérgio Stolovas
  • Radiology Consulting: Inovafi – Denise Rios
  • Total Constructed Area: 82,667 ft2
  • Masp Headquarters Area: 107,639 ft2
  • Total Area Of ​​The Complex: 190,306 ft2
  • Number Of Floors: 14 floors
  • Exhibition Galleries Ceiling Height: 4,95m
  • Program: Reception area, exhibition galleries, multipurpose room, event areas, classrooms, conservation and restoration laboratory, shop, restaurant, café, protected loading and unloading area, storage areas and technical areas. Legal project: Júlio Neves Technical Office
  • City: São Paulo
  • Country: Brazil
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Text description provided by the architects. The Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) is going through a historic moment in its trajectory with the expansion that will culminate in the new Pietro Maria Bardi building. This project represents the museum's biggest physical leap since its installation in the iconic Avenida Paulista headquarters in 1968, designed by Lina Bo Bardi. The METRO Arquitetos Associados firm — led by Martin Corullon and Gustavo Cedroni — is responsible for the architectural design. This collaboration continues the longstanding relationship between METRO and MASP, which began in 2015 and has already resulted in significant interventions in the original building, such as the return of the glass easels, redesigned from the museum's original exhibition system.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Exterior Photography
© Leonardo Finotti
Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 8 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti

Expansion and New Architecture
With 14 floors and an additional 7,821 m², the new building will increase MASP's exhibition capacity by 66%. The design respects the scale and language of Lina Bo Bardi's building and avoids competing with its monumentality. The volume consists of a rectangular prism on a transparent base, which preserves visual continuity with MASP's famous "free span".

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 24 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti

One of the main differentials of the building is the cladding in perforated and pleated metal sheets, a solution that controls the incidence of natural light and reduces internal heating. This metal façade works as a protective "skin", reducing the thermal load and increasing the building’s energy efficiency, relieving the air conditioning system. In addition to its technical virtues, the innovative metal façade, by enveloping the entire construction, produces a pure and regular volumetry, in dialogue with the building designed by Lina Bo Bardi, reinforcing the functional and symbolic character of the expansion.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 2 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti

Connection and Functionality
Inspired by the typologies of vertical museums like those in New York, the Pietro Maria Bardi building incorporates a circulation system that leads visitors to routes from top to bottom, using elevators and stairs. The stairs, in addition to functioning as escape routes, were designed to be pleasant spaces, with windows that allow natural light to enter and fireproof glass, avoiding the feeling of enclosure and turning them into areas for public circulation.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 29 of 35
Diagram

The project includes an underpass that will connect MASP to the new building, facilitating the functional integration between the two buildings and optimizing the flow of the public and the transportation of works of art. In addition, the ticket office will be transferred to the basement of the Pietro Maria Bardi building, returning the "free span" to its original role as a public space, according to the ideal defended by Lina Bo Bardi.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 4 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti

"The expansion project was designed in a way that complements Lina's building, creating an architectural ensemble that works as a single organism, and not just an addition of areas," defines Martin Corullon. By incorporating docks for loading and unloading works of art and creating a new air conditioning center, which serves both buildings, the entire ensemble starts to work as a large integrated equipment.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 3 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti

Resignification and Retrofitting
The Pietro Maria Bardi building is the result of a careful process of resignification. Taking advantage of pre-existing structures – a building from the 1940s that had undergone an intervention in 2014, unfinished – the project transforms what was once a residential space into a contemporary cultural complex. "It was crucial to understand what could be preserved, such as the foundations, and what should be adapted, such as doubling the ceiling heights, with the removal of entire floors," explains Martin Corullon. The choice to intervene and adapt an existing structure, rather than building from scratch, reinforces São Paulo's history as a city in constant transformation.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Interior Photography, Stairs, Wood, Handrail
© Leonardo Finotti

Construction Challenges
The implementation of the project was not without challenges. The main difficulty was the partial demolition of the old concrete building, which had several structural columns. The process was conducted with parts being demolished and built simultaneously, without causing an aggressive intervention in the surroundings. "The tunnel that will connect the two buildings, in addition to being a complex engineering work given that we are excavating on Avenida Paulista, is unusual in architectural projects, it is actually widely used in infrastructure systems, but in our case, it will serve the public and the transit of works of art" comments Gustavo Cedroni.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 28 of 35
New structure and circulation

Materials and Relationships to the Original Building
The project pays subtle homage to Lina Bo Bardi's original building through the use of carefully selected materials. The black hardwood floors, for example, are a direct reference to the black floor of MASP. Basalt stone, used in several details, including the sidewalk and staircase of the original building, is also present in the new building. Exposed concrete, a hallmark of Lina's project, is another key material that reinforces this connection. The metallic skin covers the building up to a certain height, while the ground floor is wrapped in clear glass, preserving the feeling of openness and integration with the surroundings. "When the elevator doors open, you will have a full view of the art galleries, without walls of any kind, reinforcing the idea of immediate connection of the public with the art pieces just as it happens at MASP’s picture gallery" explains Gustavo Cedroni

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Interior Photography
© Leonardo Finotti

Technology and Sustainability
The new MASP building represents not only physical expansion, but also technological modernization that positions the museum among the most advanced in the world. The air conditioning and lighting systems, designed with state-of-the-art technology, will meet the strict international standards for the conservation of works of art. In addition, automated LED lighting ensures energy efficiency, significantly reducing environmental impact.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 26 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti

Another crucial aspect of sustainability in the project lies in its timeless design, with simple shapes and the reduced use of highly durable materials. This structural minimalism reflects the natural longevity of the building, ensuring that its aesthetics and functionality are maintained over time, without the need for major future interventions. Sustainability, therefore, goes beyond energy efficiency: it is also reflected in the choice of materials and in the architectural design, which combines practicality and aesthetics with the durability required by an iconic work.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 33 of 35
Sketches

Sustainability is a central theme in the project, which has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The double metal façade and smart ventilation systems were designed to reduce energy consumption, ensuring thermal comfort and savings. This approach highlights METRO Arquitetos' commitment to creating a building that is not only innovative and functional, but also respects the environment and integrates harmoniously into the urban landscape.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Image 11 of 35
© Leonardo Finotti
Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Interior Photography, Wood
© Leonardo Finotti

Social and Cultural Spaces
The Pietro Maria Bardi building will have exhibition galleries, multipurpose areas, classrooms, a restoration laboratory, restaurant and café, creating several meeting points for visitors to enjoy. These new spaces will expand MASP's capacity to serve the public, offering a varied program of exhibitions, courses, and cultural events.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Interior Photography, Lighting
© Leonardo Finotti

The Pietro Maria Bardi building, expected to be completed in 2024, will be a milestone in MASP's history, transforming not only its physical structure, but also the cultural experience of its visitors. This project reaffirms the importance of the museum for the city of São Paulo and Brazil, offering more space for art, socialization and dialogue between past, present and future.

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos - Exterior Photography
© Leonardo Finotti

Project gallery

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Project location

Address:Masp, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Pietro Maria Bardi MASP Building / Metro Arquitetos" [Edifício Pietro Maria Bardi MASP / Metro Arquitetos] 30 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed 23 Feb 2025. <https://www.archdaily.com/1026123/pietro-maria-bardi-masp-building-metro-arquitetos> ISSN 0719-8884
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© Leonardo Finotti

Pietro Maria Bardi MASP 大楼 / Metro Arquitetos

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