MASP Announces R$180 Million Expansion with 14-Story Building Named for Pietro Maria Bardi

The Museum of Art São Paulo (MASP) has revealed plans for a R$180 million (£24.5m) expansion to address its limited exhibition space, currently showing only 1% of its 11,000-work collection, the largest European art holdings in South America. Scheduled for 2024, the project involves renovating a 14-story former residential building, Edifício Dumont-Adams on Avenue Paulista, designed by Júlio Neves with METRO Arquitetos Associados, featuring a black corrugated facade. The 6,945 m2 extension will connect underground to the existing Lina Bo Bardi-designed museum, opened in 1968, which will be renamed after its architect, while the new building honors Pietro Maria Bardi, MASP's first artistic director and Lina's husband. Funded through private patronage, the expansion will include galleries, classrooms, a restoration lab, a restaurant, shop, and event areas, with high ceilings and advanced climate control for temporary exhibitions. Artistic director Adriano Pedrosa stated that the Lina building will focus on displaying the permanent collection, especially in underground areas, easing the museum's tight schedule and improving exhibition narratives. At the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, Bo Bardi received a posthumous Golden Lion, highlighting her legacy. The collection spans paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, and clothing from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.