Iguatemi Group, a luxury Brazilian retail brand, is sponsoring an ambitious program to restore Teatro Cultura Artística—one of the most incredible modern buildings in São Paulo, Brazil. Pedro e Paulo Bruna Arquitetos Associados, a Brazilian office, is leading the refurbishment. The project comes after a fire in 2008 destroyed much of the existing structure.
Teatro Cultura Artística was designed by Rino Levi, an important Brazilian modern architect, together with Roberto Cerqueira César and Fa Pestalozzi. The building’s front facade has a monumental mosaic titled Alegoria das Artes by Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, a legendary Brazilian artist and contemporary of Picasso, Fernand Léger, and Georges Braque.
Sociedade de Cultura Artística, a historic arts collective in Brazil, was the client. When Teatro Cultura Artística opened in 1950, the iconic Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Camargo Guarnieri both performed at the inauguration. The building had original furniture by Studio d’Arte Palma, a collaboration between Lina Bo Bardi and Giancarlo Palanti. It was later listed as a national and state landmark.
In 2008, the theater hall where Villa-Lobos and Guarnieri performed burnt down in a fire. Miraculously, Di Cavalcanti’s mosaic survived the fire, but all of its interior spaces and accompanying artworks were destroyed. Reconstruction began in 2010, led by Paulo Bruna.
The renovation led by Bruna will update two concert halls—one with 750 seats, and the other with 150—to host musical performances, piano lessons, debates, and lectures. The historic entry foyer will have a new bookstore and cafe. dpot, a Brazilian design company, will recreate the original furniture by Lina Bo Bardi and Giancarlo Palanti.
Eleven classrooms will be added for music education. Circulation areas and utility spaces will be improved using advanced technologies. The refurbishment will prioritize acoustics, comfort, efficiency, and environmental consciousness.
The revamped venue will also feature a new installation by contemporary Brazilian artist Sandra Cinto. At Teatro Cultura Artística, Cinto will create an acoustic piece and tapestries that line the new concert hall.
Teatro Cultura Artística will open on August 25, 2024.
Through December, performances by Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, Hélène Grimaud, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Sonya Yoncheva, and others will take place.
