Cais das Artes, Modern Brazil Building, Paulo Mendes da Rocha Project

Cais das Artes Project

New Architecture in Espírito Santo State, Brazil – design by Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Metro Arquitetos

page updated 17 Oct 2016 with new images ; 26 May 2011

Cais das Artes Project

Design: Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Metro Arquitetos

The project “Cais das Artes”, a partnership between the Pritzker Prize winner Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Metro Arquitetos office.

“Cais das Artes” brings together a theater with capacity for 1,300 spectators, a museum with 3000 square meters of exhibition area, plaza, library, auditorium and café.

The project seeks to relocate Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state, on Brazil’s cultural map.

Located in the “Enseada do Suá”, a long flat area that forms the island of Vitória, the “Cais das Artes” is designed to set a public promenade along the sea. The buildings are suspended to allow free view of the mountains of Penha Convent, important point of the local landscape, and create a large plaza for public use.

The exploration of the relationship between nature and construction was crucial for defining the route of visiting the Museum. Designed with large balconies, vertical circulation ramp will allow the visitor to observe several points in the city also inside the building.