Opening of the Capanema Palace marks the return of a modernist icon in Rio

One of the most emblematic modernist buildings in Rio, the Palace Gustavo Capanema (Palácio Capanema), located in the Center, was reopened on Tuesday (20), after ten years closed. The reopening took place after six years of work. The works began in February 2019, and the building was completely restored, maintaining its original structure.

The reopening ceremony included the surrender of the Order of Cultural Merit, an honor that had been suspended in 2019. Artists such as Alaíde Costa, aged 89, the voice of bossa nova in the 1950s, and singers Alcione and Alceu Valença, as well as producer Paula Lavigne, were honored.

Starting in the second half of this year, the building's terrace will house a restaurant with an outdoor area, offering a unique view of the Rio Center, and will be open to visit so that both cariocas and tourists can enjoy the landscape. In September, the fourth floor of the Capanema Palace will receive 100,000 items from the Music and Sound Archive Division of the National Library. This collection, which will also be open to visitation, includes books and various materials related to the music history of Brazil.

More than 60% of the building will be dedicated to exhibitions, workshops, library and cultural activities open to the public. The rest houses institutions to promote culture and heritage.

Opened in 1945, the Capanema Palace was designed by Lucio Costa, with Oscar Niemeyer, among others. The 16-story building is topped by Iphan and was originally intended to host the Ministry of Education and Public Health.