Rio Art Museum, Art museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Museu de Arte do Rio is an art museum in the port district made up of a restored early 20th-century palace and a modern building with curved lines. The two structures are linked by elevated walkways and feature large windows that bring light inside and frame views of the surroundings.
The museum opened on 1 March 2013, created by Rio's city government with the Roberto Marinho Foundation as part of a downtown revitalization law passed in 2009. It joined the eclectic Palacete Dom João VI, now the exhibition pavilion, with the former Mariano Procópio bus terminal, which became the Escola do Olhar and administration. Governor Sérgio Cabral estimated the museum's construction at R$ 76 million.
The museum displays works by Brazilian artists spanning multiple periods, showing how creators responded to their surroundings and communities. You encounter both traditional and contemporary pieces that reveal the artistic conversations shaping the country.
The museum is easy to reach and sits within walking distance of other port district attractions, so visiting fits well with other activities. The space is accessible and generously laid out, allowing you to move through the galleries comfortably.
The museum's two buildings are joined by a wave-shaped covered walkway, a form that refers to Rio's port zone. The complex was named best museum construction of 2013 by popular vote in the Architizer A+ Awards, beating the New Rijksmuseum and the Danish Maritime Museum.
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