[Niterói] Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) - Oscar Niemeyer

[primocordara]

Just across the bay from Rio is the city of Niteroi, were Niemeyer designed the MAC Museum of Contemporary Art, designed in 1991 and finished in 1996.
This buiding has stunning views to Rio across the river.

[primocordara]

How to get there:
Assuming youre in Rio de Janeiro, the best option and nicest one is to take a "Barça" - Boat accross the bay to Niteroi city, and then a cab or walk to the museum.

To take the "Barça" get to Praça XV (plaza 15) by cab or bus (many buses say PRAÇA XV). You should get off the bus as it enters the tunnel, NOT before, and walk towards the Barças.
there is one every 15 min on weekdays and 30 min on weekends.

To your left as the barça arrives you will see the Caminho Niemeyer, a 12 building complex being built right now. The idea is to make a walking path along the coast joining this to the MAC, though there seems to be funding problems for such an ambitious project.


BTW: in this picture you can see the Museum of modern art of Rio too, and the Santos Dumont Airport next to it (below left),

[primocordara]

here the entrance of the building. There is a ramp that leads you to the exhibition levels (2) and a stair that leads you down to a theater below the reflection fountain.

[primocordara]

as you climb the ramp you get a nice promenade architectural, with vaying views of the bay and the building...

[primocordara]

view from the end...

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here the entrance...

[primocordara]

here you see the fountain and the theater volume below. The handrail is extremely low, about 60cm!

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here a look back from the door...

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another view... that volume under the ramp is just a sign anouncing the Miro exhibition, and hides those chemical toilets, but the ramp is suspended...

[primocordara]

a view towards Niteroi...
I realy hate that twisted handrail !!

[primocordara]

here a view from the entrance hall. I was disapointed by the bad execution of this building.
The floor is a grey cheap rug that has wrinkles, the ceiling and wall plaster is roughly finished and painted over.

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a view from inside towards the ramp...

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another... there is another level with a circular balcony over the main space.
I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, so this is the last one...

[primocordara]

here a view of the Caminho Niemeyer construction site. There are visit tours and models in exhibition, but unfortunantly not on Mondays, :bang head (guess what day was this picture taken?)

[primocordara]

here the plans of this ambitious project, remember its to the left of the Barça as you arrive to Niteroi.
There are signs all over Niteroi showing you the way, but none to the MAM?!
BTW this complex includes a new dock for the Barças to arrive.

[imasayer]

Great views, I would much rather be inside looking out to the city than anywhere else looking at this building. I can't say I care for it much, looks like late 60's tech modern. It is interesting with the small base and everything, but just doesn't do anything for me.

Thanks for posting though Primo, you did have some nice shots of the views. Caminho Niemeyer construction site looks cool though, wish it wasn't closed!

[primocordara]

thanks Imasayer, I liked the design and the way it sits in site, but was disapointed by the execution...
herer the GE view...

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and the MAM view...

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finnaly, the kmz...

[primocordara]

... and the Caminho Niemeyer kmz...

[spadestick]

ahh.. some architects are wowed by the details, some are wowed by the form. I'd give the form a 10/10 and the details 5/10
1960s structural engineers seem to be so much more capable than the incumbent fools of today.

[Pedro Barradas]

1960s structural engineers seem to be so much more capable than the incumbent fools of today.

The problem of today´s engineers is that in most of the cases they are good software operators.... not Engineers... :eek:

Thanks for sharing this pictures PRIMO, yes terrible execution....

[wizum]

Nice post Primo... I take it we should expect some more goodies from your trip? :)

I too am not crazy about the building either but it looks interesting and of course the views look spectacular...

[primocordara]

Nice post Primo... I take it we should expect some more goodies from your trip? :)
.

MAM Rio and Instituto Moreira Sales coming soon...

JEJE ;)

[Moita_UFF]

and the MAM view...

Niteroi's museum is actually MAC (Museu de Arte Contemporânea = Contemporary art museum)

The one in Rio is MAM (Museu de Arte Moderna = Modern Art Museum).

The bay view from the interior is the best feature of this building... I'm planning a visit to Miro's exibition and hope to add some pics here soon.

[primocordara]

yes moita, I corrected it already. Hope you get into the caminho Niemeyer site as well!

This is a map of the proposed Niemeyer walk:

[primocordara]

the Brazilian cinema museum is in construction too, and the JK plaza is done...
here the GE view:

[Moita_UFF]

I live in Niteroi.
Caminho Niemeyer is a huge problem here... Lot of politics involved,lots of architects critics, and always a lot of discussion about it...
Construction is taking a lot longer than it was supposed to. The 'Museu do Cinema BR' got its construction stopped for almost an year... or even more, i'm not sure...
Caminho Niemeyer actually doesn't work or even exists. In portuguese, 'caminho' means 'way'. It was supposed to be 'along people's way', but it's hidden behind a huge supermarket and some parking lots. People don't see it, unless you are as primo, aiming to do that. You can see that in GE's image. The hole project forsees the integration between 'actual city space' and the project site, though it seems a lot far from reality.
Millions from city money has been spent, lots of suspicious contracts between city and constructors... And not one of the best Niemeyer's days...
I've recentlly been to Brasilia and could see the best works of Niemeyer. The man is a genious!!! But for a long time he has not been on his best. And what you have mencioned before about the building execution is one of the major critics on his work now...

Sorry for the english, hope i was clear... I'm actually triyng to develop my 'architectural talking' in english... Hard to get the vocabulary... :)

[primocordara]

Thanks for the data Moita! your english is great BTW.
I suspected something of the sort was going on, since the GE pictures have at least one year.
Yes, perhaps I was not clear, but the Niemeyer way doesn't exist as such today, it is a project! I drove by in car, through the streets along its way, (I accidentaly drove through the bus terminal!:eek: )

It is not Niemeyer at its best for sure...
BTW We could have met if I knew you were in Niteroi!

[merengue]

Great post primo! :rock on:
I really love that biulding, in fact I think is one of the best of Niemeyer. And to be fair, I think Niemeyer is one of the gratest living architects nowadays. :not worth
Your pictures are great!. I was in Rio 5 years ago but (as usual) time wasn´t enough to visit Niteroi. :bang head

maybe next time :rock on:

[primocordara]

I was surprised to see it was part of a more ambitious urban level project.
It would be a pity to see it truncated.

[Moita_UFF]

I was surprised to see it was part of a more ambitious urban level project.
It would be a pity to see it truncated.

I believe it was a 'standalone' project that became part of the urban project.
MAC was already built when 'Caminho Niemeyer' was brought up.
I really would like to see the hole project finished, but at least for now the time already spent and the work still waiting only projects something close to Gaudi's 'Sagrada Familia' construction.
BTW Niemeyer is getting close to 100 years and unfortunatelly i believe he won't be here for the great opening!

Primo,
Also wish we could have met. It's always a pleasure to 'meet new ideas'!

[primocordara]

The Popular theater of Niteroi was finaly inaugurated this week, one of his "most difficult proyects to complete" acording to Niemeyer. "All I can say is these (difficulties) had nothing to do with Architecture"

One of its features is a "rotating" balcony that seats 350 and can be rotated to se an outdoors theater.

Now Caminho Niemeyer has a beguinning and an end...