Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Contemporary art museum in Niterói, Brazil
The circular building rises 16 meters above a cliff overlooking Guanabara Bay, featuring a cupola 50 meters in diameter. The concrete and glass structure rests on a cylindrical base and is surrounded by a reflecting pool that enhances the futuristic architecture.
The museum opened on 2 September 1996, five years after construction began; 300 workers built the four-storey structure on the Mirante da Boa Viagem. It was designed by Oscar Niemeyer with structural engineer Bruno Contarini, and exists to house the João Sattamini Collection, begun in 1966 while Sattamini lived in Italy. The land deal behind the site became a local political scandal, nicknamed a Christmas present the politicians gave themselves.
This institution holds 1,217 contemporary artworks from João Sattamini's collection, forming the second largest assemblage of its kind in Brazil. The museum has established itself as a significant center for modern Brazilian art, drawing both local and international visitors who come to study works by prominent artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with free admission for Niterói residents and cyclists. Visitors can reach the site by bus from central Rio de Janeiro or by driving across the Rio-Niterói Bridge, with parking available on site.
The museum's land deal became a political scandal: sub-mayor Zeca Mocarzel bought the plot cheaply after telling the owner building rights were blocked, and the council approved the project in two days. After the 1996 opening raised nearby property values, the land sold for over 5 million reais. Locals called it a Christmas present the politicians gave themselves.
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